As you may have noticed (as I did), I have again failed to post a 'Thankful Thursday' post this Thursday. I recognize though that this does not mean that I have failed. Here's a snippet of my thoughts on the subject this morning while getting ready for work:
"Shoot! I never did end up writing a Thankful Thursday post on Thursday this week. I guess I could do it today but ahh! that's just frustrating. I did it again!"
But then, I remembered why.
Let's rewind the clock to yesterday morning.
I spent the night before at a house I'm helping to watch while the family who lives there is on vacation. I got up kind of late because I like sleep and I had stayed up sort of late the night before having a good conversation with my boyfriend on the phone. I wouldn't trade that for an on-time thankful Thursday post.
Then, I watched a movie with the co-house sitter because she wanted to. While it's debatable whether or not watching a movie with someone is better than writing a blog post, I just chose to watch that movie with her. Because even if it meant just a little, I think it meant something to her that I watched it with her. And even if it meant just a little to her, I wouldn't trade that for an on-time thankful Thursday post.
After the movie was over, I went back to my home and did some chores that needed to be done, showered, and got ready to go meet a girl for coffee (more on that later on).
My family came home from their respective daily engagements and I spent a little time with them as well. My coffee appointment got pushed back so I stayed home and relaxed a little longer and watched some of a TV show on netflix. This is the part of my day that I'll admit I w/could have traded for an on-time thankful Thursday post. But, I didn't. And that's ok.
My coffee appointment got changed to dinner at pizza hut (I didn't complain!).
Here's where my day got especially good.
A few days back, I was perusing the good ol' Facebook and the status of a girl I met in High School showed up on my news feed. I went to her profile and clearly felt like I should message her and see if we could get together sometime to catch up, so I did. After I messaged her I was encouraged and excited about that, and I couldn't really explain why; I just was.
So back to yesterday.
I met her at Pizza Hut. At first, I know I acted awkward (okay, I don't know that but I'm pretty sure I was because awkward is sort of the normal for me, especially when I'm out of my comfort zone- not that she made me uncomfortable. Just, believe me, I think I was awkward).
But after the awkward wore off, I realized that I was just really having a nice time with this girl. After dinner (which she sweetly tried to pay for but I wanted to help at least a little), we went to a bball game at my Alma Mater between them and a school that this girl used to go to and my sister goes to now. That was an unexpected blast too. It wasn't extremely deep or life-changing to go to a high school basketball game, but I don't think I would have traded that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post either.
Then, she came back to my house with us and stayed for family devotions.
Here was the best part of my day.
During devotions, my family usually reads from some sort of daily devotional + the Bible, then we share prayer requests, sometimes chat a little bit about our lives and then each member of the family prays. When other people join us, we have the same routine.
So last night, my friend joined us for devotions. And her prayer knocked me off my feet.
She thanked the Lord for me having reached out to her on facebook and prayed that we could start a friendship because that would be really good for her right now. She told him she hadn't prayed or read the Bible much lately and that she was sorry for that. She said she hoped that maybe this could start that back up again.
As she continued in such an honest and contrite prayer, I wanted to cry.
Because I felt bad for almost not letting the Holy Spirit use me to make way for such a prayer to be prayed.
Because I was so blessed by being able to be a part of making way for this prayer to be prayed.
Because I knew He was pleased by it.
I opened my eyes and realized that this was that moment people talk about. The moment when they realize what their "thing" is.
My thing is to take and make the most of whatever I have-influence, relationships, resources-to help make a way for people have the opportunity to come closer to Jesus. I definitely wouldn't trade that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post.
Sometimes it's hard for me to view things that I feel like I should do as things that I can (and should) also be pouring my heart into. I'm way to analytical sometimes and my analytical mind (no, actually, the temptation to be selfish) tells me that I shouldn't pour my heart into things that I should be doing-only things that I feel like or want to be doing. But the thing is, when I'm doing what I know the Lord wants me to be doing wholeheartedly (aka, what I should be doing), that's when I'll be most blessed and satisfied. And He never fails to bless me 10x more than I feel like I'm putting out.
I would never trade that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post. Ever.
All of that brought me to about 11:30 at which time I got on Skype with my sweet boyfriend and told him all about all that had happened and I was yet even more blessed by just spending some time with him to end my day.
So that's why there was no post yesterday. This post isn't written as an excuse or an apology. I hope that's obvious. I also hope it's obvious that I'm so thankful for everything that happened yesterday, and I'm even more thankful for the life-impacting effect of what happened yesterday and the things which took place rather than an on-time Thankful Thursday post.
I'm thankful for those things that are so much better than any on-time (or late) blog post.
"Shoot! I never did end up writing a Thankful Thursday post on Thursday this week. I guess I could do it today but ahh! that's just frustrating. I did it again!"
But then, I remembered why.
Let's rewind the clock to yesterday morning.
I spent the night before at a house I'm helping to watch while the family who lives there is on vacation. I got up kind of late because I like sleep and I had stayed up sort of late the night before having a good conversation with my boyfriend on the phone. I wouldn't trade that for an on-time thankful Thursday post.
 |
| I ate oatmeal out of a whale bowl while I watched Free Willy 2. |
Then, I watched a movie with the co-house sitter because she wanted to. While it's debatable whether or not watching a movie with someone is better than writing a blog post, I just chose to watch that movie with her. Because even if it meant just a little, I think it meant something to her that I watched it with her. And even if it meant just a little to her, I wouldn't trade that for an on-time thankful Thursday post.
After the movie was over, I went back to my home and did some chores that needed to be done, showered, and got ready to go meet a girl for coffee (more on that later on).
My family came home from their respective daily engagements and I spent a little time with them as well. My coffee appointment got pushed back so I stayed home and relaxed a little longer and watched some of a TV show on netflix. This is the part of my day that I'll admit I w/could have traded for an on-time thankful Thursday post. But, I didn't. And that's ok.
My coffee appointment got changed to dinner at pizza hut (I didn't complain!).
Here's where my day got especially good.
A few days back, I was perusing the good ol' Facebook and the status of a girl I met in High School showed up on my news feed. I went to her profile and clearly felt like I should message her and see if we could get together sometime to catch up, so I did. After I messaged her I was encouraged and excited about that, and I couldn't really explain why; I just was.
So back to yesterday.
I met her at Pizza Hut. At first, I know I acted awkward (okay, I don't know that but I'm pretty sure I was because awkward is sort of the normal for me, especially when I'm out of my comfort zone- not that she made me uncomfortable. Just, believe me, I think I was awkward).
But after the awkward wore off, I realized that I was just really having a nice time with this girl. After dinner (which she sweetly tried to pay for but I wanted to help at least a little), we went to a bball game at my Alma Mater between them and a school that this girl used to go to and my sister goes to now. That was an unexpected blast too. It wasn't extremely deep or life-changing to go to a high school basketball game, but I don't think I would have traded that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post either.Then, she came back to my house with us and stayed for family devotions.
Here was the best part of my day.
During devotions, my family usually reads from some sort of daily devotional + the Bible, then we share prayer requests, sometimes chat a little bit about our lives and then each member of the family prays. When other people join us, we have the same routine.
So last night, my friend joined us for devotions. And her prayer knocked me off my feet.
She thanked the Lord for me having reached out to her on facebook and prayed that we could start a friendship because that would be really good for her right now. She told him she hadn't prayed or read the Bible much lately and that she was sorry for that. She said she hoped that maybe this could start that back up again.
As she continued in such an honest and contrite prayer, I wanted to cry.
Because I felt bad for almost not letting the Holy Spirit use me to make way for such a prayer to be prayed.
Because I was so blessed by being able to be a part of making way for this prayer to be prayed.
Because I knew He was pleased by it.
I opened my eyes and realized that this was that moment people talk about. The moment when they realize what their "thing" is.
My thing is to take and make the most of whatever I have-influence, relationships, resources-to help make a way for people have the opportunity to come closer to Jesus. I definitely wouldn't trade that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post.
Sometimes it's hard for me to view things that I feel like I should do as things that I can (and should) also be pouring my heart into. I'm way to analytical sometimes and my analytical mind (no, actually, the temptation to be selfish) tells me that I shouldn't pour my heart into things that I should be doing-only things that I feel like or want to be doing. But the thing is, when I'm doing what I know the Lord wants me to be doing wholeheartedly (aka, what I should be doing), that's when I'll be most blessed and satisfied. And He never fails to bless me 10x more than I feel like I'm putting out.
I would never trade that for an on-time Thankful Thursday post. Ever.
All of that brought me to about 11:30 at which time I got on Skype with my sweet boyfriend and told him all about all that had happened and I was yet even more blessed by just spending some time with him to end my day.
So that's why there was no post yesterday. This post isn't written as an excuse or an apology. I hope that's obvious. I also hope it's obvious that I'm so thankful for everything that happened yesterday, and I'm even more thankful for the life-impacting effect of what happened yesterday and the things which took place rather than an on-time Thankful Thursday post.
I'm thankful for those things that are so much better than any on-time (or late) blog post.