My Journey’s My Own

A Devotional

Thanksgiving is behind us now and Christmas is being shoved down our thankful throats! Now it’s time to hunt down the loads of crap and thoughtful gifts that everyone will forget about within a few short weeks after receiving them. Tell me I’m wrong….I’ll wait.

Because you CAN’T!!! Don’t get me wrong, I do it too. I shop for the best gifts for my family. I buy for my co-workers, I give the mail lady something, then there’s the gift exchange for the extended family. But honestly, I’m frustrated over it all! And yet, I love receiving gifts! Truly. And I’m thankful for every single one I receive. I also try very hard to use what I’m given. I am not a “returner”. You all know who you are…..

Fun Fact: Did you know (I didn’t, had to look it up) that being thankful is an emotion and being grateful is a mindset or attitude? Read that again and truly think about it. 

Again, I’ll wait….. (sits back…..sips coffee) ☕

So can you claim both of these? I can. But I couldn’t always. I have tried to be both, though I’m not sure I did it successfully. I’ve been humbled to the ground recently so I’m better at it now.

So when it comes to the upcoming holiday of Christmas. I will practice these two little words.

🍁 Feeling Thankful and being Grateful 🍁

I’m sure Mary felt so thankful to be given a baby boy and to have been given one so special must have felt amazing, I wonder now if she felt grateful to be his mom? Regardless of the outcome of having to stand by and watch where his life would lead I have wondered this.

People would often (and still) say that we were such a blessing to our kids and my answer, since day one, has been that it was the other way around. They blessed us. (IYKYK). 

I was so thankful to be blessed with all four of my babies, each coming into our family with their own story, strengths and challenges. But I am so grateful to be their Momma. 

God gives us the people we need. In His time. They are here to love us, to teach us, to learn from us, to guide us, to strengthen us, and to leave us when those tasks are complete. Again, all in His timing. 

Personally I will go forward this holiday doing the following…..

• Being thankful if anyone thinks enough of me to give me a gift in any form
• Be grateful each day I get up and am still here in this world
• Love with a fierceness that makes Satan know that I’m not playing around!
• Rein in my spending because it’s not about a dollar amount, it’s about love
• Think about each person before buying a gift. Will they use it? Do they need it? Will it make them smile?
• Change the gift giving game. Give an experience instead of a thing. Memories last longer than plastic.
• Keep saying the name of my son, Alex, and knowing that he loved this holiday. While I keep his memory alive making sure that I don’t make it all about him being gone and celebrate with those still here
• Avoid stores as often as possible
• Make a menu and shop as early as possible to avoid stores
• Rest and enjoy each moment
• Phone down, eyes up, take in the memory visually without a filter

Go forward my friends with peace in your heart, love in your souls, and an adult beverage in your hand. Enjoy each moment with your family. And don’t be one of the crazy bitches out there acting like it’s the Cabbage Patch Doll craze of 1983!

Actions/Questions

Have you dug deep and found out what you’re most thankful for?

Share with your family the need to pull back from a huge Christmas, change it up a little. 

Make this holiday more meaningful. One to remember. Gifts and all!

Verses

“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-49

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” 1 Timothy 4:4

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” 2 Peter 1: 5-7

***IYKYK: “If You Know You Know”