Lord knows I have a lot to learn. Thursday started off a bit like this:
9:45 am: Fall down a flight of stairs.
9:48 am: Drop my sandwich on the road.
12:45 pm: Get a call saying our trash bill is a month late.
1:00 pm: Enter work at Sozo, and the coffee-buyin' traffic starts.
Your average morning--some class, some hasty breakfast and little annoyances of renting an apartment. Welp, it just did me in, and I was in no mood to see past it.
Once at Sozo and a little settled in, apron on, milk steaming, my friend Joel asked me how I was.
"Ugh," I responded. "It's just a frustrating day. Nothing to talk about, really."
Being the great friend he is, he offered me some chocolate. I had needed some a few days earlier, but this time, I reluctantly refused. I was not about to take the guy's whole stash! Come on.
So, I went about my business, wiping off tables, sweeping up Lucky Charms, tamping espresso all the while with my mouth sewn shut, firm and unpleasant.
As I was busy sighing away my terrible misfortune, Joel caught me off guard by asking me a question: "What are you thankful for?"
"Hah, like Thanksgiving," I responded rashly, immediately regretting the words. When I saw he really wanted me to answer, I began slowly. "Well...a lot of things. My friends here, my great family--that they're healthy and close. The snow. Work. The smell of coffee. That I have enough blessings to bless others. The freedom of speech, of belief. The ability to walk around, to run. Hot cocoa. Jesus--of course."
"What about Jesus?" he asked me.
Just then, someone came up to order some coffee, so our conversation was cut short, but I was left pondering and smiling. It really put things in perspective for me, and gave me such a cheerful heart. I think it is so cool that Joel did not back away from me or join me in pity, but rather, posed a question, realizing the triviality of my mindset. I think that's what Jesus would do.
Later, I talked to Kendra about it--how thankfulness cured me of my self-pity, and she shared a quote with me by our friend Trey:
"Thankfulness is the antidote to the mindset of believing you are owed something from the world, a person, etc."
I think that's true.
I love that in this world, God's work in us is never done.
He teaches and reteaches, and uses other people to help his children see.
the reason that some of the poorest people I've ever known are the most joyful, I think, is because they are people of thanksgiving. We're called to give thanks in all circumstances--it's God's will for us, even. He will give us a bigger view of Himself and this thing we call existence if we will only ask Him to make us people of thanksgiving. I am convinced that he will help take our eyes off of the small, temporary nuisances and instead turn them onto the blessings of life and love that conquers all fear.
"I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving." -Psalm 69:30
"I have passed some fairly difficult nights. Discomfort, a little trouble breathing. I have decided the two choices open to me are (1) to torment myself or (2) to trust the Lord. There is no earthly solution to the problems that confront me. But I can add to my problems, as I believe I have done, by dwelling on them. So, no more of that." -Gilead
"Self-forgetfulness in the presence of greatness is the capstone of joy." -John Piper
"The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful." -Brother David Steindl-Rast
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