Thankfulness

I just read an email from a friend with a Thanksgiving greeting saying what she is thankful for. It made me think...what is thankfulness, really? Sometimes it can seem like just something I say, but how deep does it go in me? Is thankfulness a feeling? Do I FEEL thankful like I feel love or hurts? Is it a state of mind, thinking about what life would be like without the things we're have, and being glad that we have them, recognizing that others don't? Each year at this time and times throughout the year even, I think about thankfulness for my blessings. I even think about where the blessings come from - from God. But I'm not sure the thankfulness reaches my very soul, which is where I think thankfulness should truly come from.

As I pondered all this, I realized that thankfulness is not a feeling, nor even a state of mind, though it may begin there. True thankfulness is seen in where it ends, in our actions. Yes, thankfulness is a way of life; an attitude. If we are truly thankful, it is seen in our attitude in the daily, mundane tasks of life. I was just folding laundry, a task which I often loathe. Yet, if I am thankful, my attitude would be happy to do the task...happy that I have clothes to fold. Even many clothes to fold. Thankful for my husband and son, whose clothes I am folding! Each day I am faced with the task of cleaning and organizing my home and all the things in it. Sometimes I hate all the stuff we have. In fact, I do beleive I have too much STUFF. I am trying to get rid of what we don't need. I get frustrated easily when I cannot seem to keep things in control here. But in thankfulness I am reminded that I am blessed to have this home, and to love taking care of it.

Well those are my random thoughts today. Now it's back to work, and this time with a thankful heart.

By the way...Asher's getting a tooth!