Forgetting To Be Thankful

Oh yeah, I've been there, done that- about a bazillion times.

We humans are a fickle bunch. Since time began we have been slopping over with gratefulness when God does something awesome for us (okay, sometimes we are), but when the shiny rubs off, we can look at the same blessing and go "Eh, that was nice, but what's next?"

Fickle, fickle, fickle.

We're thankful, then we're forgetful. It's all over the bible- every inch of it. And the second we're in trouble again, we're the first ones to start praying "Remember that really cool thing You did last time? Can You do that again?" Lucky for us God is a great guy and forgives us for being complete boneheads.

Sometimes I hear whining all day long about how 'I don't have this' and 'I really need that'- unfortunately this happens when the kids are at school and the only person I can hear whining is that chick in the mirror- Ungrateful wench that she can be.

I want to be one of those positive people that sees all the good stuff, even when the bad stuff is happening. A Bad stuff Person stubs her toe and gripes about how that chair got in the way, and now her nail is going to fall off any second and she'll get gangrene or nail fungus. A Good Stuff Person stubs her toe and praises God that she had the chair to stub it on, the pain took her mind off her aching back, and the fact that feeling that pain meant her body was working perfectly!

You know, the kind of person the Bad Stuff Person wants to smack upside the head on occasion.

Right now I'm somewhere in-between, but I am getting better at it each day. For the most part.

It also helps that I have a tween and a teen who think it's torture not to have some kind of electronic media device attached to their person constantly, or a screen in front of their face the second they arrive home, or other amenities they lack, like a horse in the backyard or a maid to clean their rooms.
Then I'm slopping over thankful for the peace and quiet I get when they're at school! 
I get to tote out my 'When I was your age' stories that make them groan, and that going out and getting dirt on your shoes from playing isn't a bad thing. We went to the park this weekend despite their protests of wanting to stay inside on the first sunny day in forever.

Despite the fact that the park was 'The Most Boring Place On the Planet' when we were ready to go, they weren't- and they even got a little color in their cheeks. I was grateful for a rock to sit on and the warm sun on my face- and there was a nice breeze blowing too. Ahh.

Despite the fact that 'We'll Have No One To Play With' my daughter found a swing buddy and my son helped a tossed-together team on the basketball court. And there I was sitting on my rock, enjoying the happy sounds of playing children.

Despite the fact that 'The Wind Is Too Blowy', that wind helped cool them when they were finished running about like lunatics. And on the way home they were all smiles and happy chatter.

I am such a cruel, mean parent for making them go to the park. 

Heh. 

I'm just glad I was a part of their so-called torture.

Now each day I make a point to be thankful for something. It can be something big or little, it really doesn't matter. I truly am grateful for it all- I just forget to thank Him for it sometimes!