This morning I woke up early. I even woke up with my mom’s voice in my head
saying “Arise O Sluggard" as she used to say to us on
mornings where the day’s activities (usually chores) awaited us, but nonetheless
the subtle chastising from Proverbs always got us out of bed.
However this morning I did not grumble as I woke up, it took
no chastising to get me out of bed. This morning I awoke at 4:30 to take a
friend to the bus station and hurried to get her there only to find out that we
were there half an hour before even the bus station opened, but what surprised
me is that I was not in the least bit irritated but rather grateful for the
extra little time I would get to spend with my best friend. As her bus came and
I saw her off the feeling-that overwhelming gratitude- still resonated with me.
Like sweet honey residue that stays on your fingers that just keeps sticking to
everything til you address it.
As I drove home I felt my heart welling up. Barely 6:30 in
the morning and I felt so alive, so awake, and yet every highway of thought in
my mind all kept coming back to that sweet aroma of gratefulness in my life.
I decided to go to an apartment complex rooftop and it was
there that the feeling seemed to flower and bloom within my heart. It seems odd
that “Thanksgiving” is now done and I’m feeling this way now, but it was
something about that sunrise over the newly awakened San Marcos and realizing
it was December 1st and that this year is almost over that it seemed
to be my spirit that was breathing a sigh of relief.
“Thank You Lord for silence”, I said out loud as it was
through that stillness, like a silent dramatic pause in a movie, that I could
soak up this revelation of gratefulness in my life.
As I got home and started my much needed coffee the
gratitude still embraced my frame. I was actually just putting some cinnamon
raisin peanut butter on some gluten free crackers when I realized that both the
crackers and raisin spread were given to me by dad who knows what I love. The NPR
mug I was drinking my coffee out of was given to me by the dad of the very
friend I had just dropped off at the bus station because he knows I love NPR.
Mostly what I felt like what hit me hardest was HOW God
loves us. He knows us, knows just what we need and when we allow him to
intervene in our lives he works in small ways too not just big ways.
For example, my best friend and I love animals and both know
the joy and therapy animals’ sweet spirits brings. As we were walking around my
grandparents property on Thanksgiving we came upon a sweet dog who simply
wanted petting and all we wanted was to hug it. Seriously a divine appointment.
Then a couple minutes later as I had been telling my brother I had been
desiring to pet a horse lately, a girl on a horse walks by and I bolted out of
the house and got to feed and pet a horse named Pappy. God knows just what we
need.
Or as some of you know and I’ve talked about frequently,
this semester I seemed to stumble upon jazz music. Specifically Vince Guaraldi
who is the composer of all the Peanuts’ soundtracks. Seriously this has been
something that the Lord has put in my life that I thoroughly enjoy and believe
it had to have been HIM that put it there because of the rest and relaxation I
get from listening to it.
I am so loved. I am so grateful that God knows us and he
knows just what we need. Perhaps you’re not a sentimental sappy Sally as I am
and petting animals, jazz music, cinnamon brooms, and fresh flowers don’t make
you happy. That is the great thing about the Lord and that I’m realizing. He
doesn’t just know me, he knows ALL, to the depths of their very existence and
he knows what makes us tick.
So I guess I’m just resonating on gratefulness today. I’m in
gratitude today to God that he made a way for me to spend eternity with him and
that I can spend time with him now. I’m grateful that I was given a family that
loves me and appreciates me for who I am and will always and forever be my 1st
audience to entertain, and siblings that are lifelong best friends. I’m grateful for friends who just get me’ and
for NPR mugs that just seem to make coffee taste better. I’m grateful for
sunrises, for the wonderful month of December and the actual joyful and almost
tangible spirit of Christmas. I’m grateful for jazz music and coffee and the
culmination of those two things together. And especially today I am grateful
for early mornings, and the wonderful joy and stillness that comes from the
dawn til noon.
So with that:
Arise O Sluggard! How long will you sleep?
And what are YOU grateful for this morning-for this is the
day that the Lord has made! Rejoice and be glad in it.
Thanks and Amen.
Love, your actual Christmas elf, Shelby
