The Throne of Thankfulness

So I have learned with in the last few years how to be thankful in everything; and how to find the positives, which leads to thankfulness.  Some days I do better at it than other days, but the main point is that I try, and that I know that I am trying.  Living life in thankfulness, in turns points you to God, and the Cross.  It brings you to the Throne, and a better understanding of life, and God's blessings upon you.  It provides you a perspective of hope and joy that simply nothing else can bring.

This past summer, I started to come to the throne of thankfulness in more ways than one.  I started seeking it in even the most unusual places.  For instance, I found thankfulness at the throne of a different kind!  Yep, I found a thankful heart at the foot of the porcelain throne--the toilet.

As a busy mom and housewife, there are days that so many of the tasks and chores that I do seem so minor, and very mundane.  I feel like cleaning the toilet constantly is just a disgusting, boring, and a must-do chore that someone like myself just has to do.  However, this past summer I started to grasp this chore!  I started using the time of cleaning my two toilets as a way of praying, and thanking God for His goodness!  Can you believe that?!

As I clean my toilets, I am able to take the time and redirect my heart by thanking the Lord for such things as our house (shelter), the blessings of having two toilets for a large family such as mine, for each member of my family who uses it, or will be using it, such as Big Mac.  I thank the Lord for each bum bum that sits upon my toilets.  I am thankful for the fact that I have a husband, and four beautiful children; and I have started to take the time to pray for each one as I clean.

I pray and thank the Lord in so many chores now as washing dishes, packing lunches, vacuuming, and more!  I thank the Lord for the water we have to clean with, the electricity we have to power my vacuum.  I thank the Lord for each member of my family that I either clean-up after, or provide a meal for, because they are blessings to me.  I pray for safety and more specific prayers where applicable as I thank the Lord for them.  This has provided joy and a different perspective on things than just simply grudgingly doing a hated chore.

This summer, I have also wanted to instill a grateful heart, as well as a good perspective, for my kids.  So at lunch, we would all go around the table, and each one of us would state what we were thankful for, as well as why.  The kids loved it!  It even got to the point that the kids would remind me, or jump in with their thankful thoughts before I could even sit down!  This brought joy to my heart as well as theirs!

As school has started up though, our lunchtime practice has gone by the way side; HOWEVER, I have decided to start initiating it at dinnertime with Scot.  We are going to include Scot on our thankfulness!  It can be Thanksgiving everyday!  Not just once a year!  And doing this at dinner will provide good, positive family conversation and time, in such a crazy and busy world.

I challenge you all to start making Thanksgiving a day to be had every day!  Your outlook on life will change!  In EVERYTHING that you do--whether it is scrubbing the toilet, or pulling weeds in the garden--find something to be thankful for as you go!  However, mundane or minor, the things you do feel, find that grateful spirit. 

If you have kids, try to lead them into having a heart of thankfulness.  Help direct them to the Throne of God!  Take the time to find a way for you to find a grateful heart and share!