My "Grateful" List

I read a post on another Mommy's blog recently & I can't even remember where to give her credit (sorry!)!  It just really impacted me so I wanted to do it for what applies to my life!  She said to remember that someone, somewhere, wants what I have!  Someone would be so grateful for what I have even if what I have doesn't meet my selfish expectations & even when I don't recognize how blessed I am!  It was such a fresh reminder to be grateful to God for every blessing & to even try to see that God can be working & trying to help us grow in the things we don't understand!  It's hard sometimes but so good for me to keep my heart & mind focused on gratefulness for all that God has done for me & given to me! 

• When I'm hoping for a full night of sleep & my sweet baby wakes to nurse at 3 am.......I am grateful that she is a healthy baby girl with an awesome appetite who nurses wonderfully & doesn't have to eat from a feeding tube in her tummy! 

• When I am hot & really wishing I could turn our air down & make it cooler in our home.......I am grateful that we have safe & comfortable shelter & that we are much cooler than if we had to live outside!  

• When I finish putting away all the laundry just for another pile to appear.......I am grateful that my Husband & 5 little girls have so many clothes to wear that keep them cool in the summer & warm in the winter & that they even happen to be nice & cute clothes & not rags! AND.....even MORE grateful that I have my sweet family who put all that laundry on their cute little bodies that I love so very much!  

 

• When I grumble in my heart about having to iron my Husband's work clothes.......I am grateful that he has a wonderful job & a healthy, strong body to provide for our family!

• When the air in my Suburban takes longer than I would like to cool down.......I am grateful that we have transportation that is safe, comfortable & big enough so that all 7 of us can ride together!

• When I wish I could feed my family more healthy or organic foods.......I am grateful that we (almost) always have a full fridge & pantry & most importantly.......5 full little tummies (& 2 big also!)!

• When I get angry because I tripped over my Husband's big ole' shoes again.......I am so grateful that I have my amazing Hubby & best friend who WEARS those big shoes!  (Did you know that you actually can love something like a pair of dumb ole' shoes you always trip over?  It's possible when you imagine your lovie man wearing them as he works so incredibly hard for your family!)  : ) 

• When I have to vacuum (or have my big girls do it!) up Goldfishy crumbs several times a day.......I am grateful that I have a sweet little toddler with a healthy appetite who loves to eat them & (usually!) sweetly asks for "fishy crackers pease Mama?" & usually makes that mess by trying to "share" with all of her sissies & her baby dolls! 

• When I get discouraged about my weight & wonder if my tummy will ever be flat again.......I look at my 5 beautiful babies who grew, snuggled tight, in my tummy for 9 months each ( for a total of  45 months or 3.75 years!)  : )  & realize that all of my hard work is SO very worth it!  

• When I see how worn out some of our toys are & wish I could surprise my girls with new things.......I am so grateful that the reason our most loved baby doll, "Caleekee" (my sweet firstborn named her that at 13 months old & that has been her name ever since!) & our little baby push toys are so worn is because they  have been hugged, squeezed, toted around, pushed, sat on & loved by my 5 sweet little girls!   

• When I see that my big girls' jeans will need to become cut-off clam-diggers by necessity only three months after buying them.......I am grateful that they are healthy, growing children!  

• When we're out at a store & people ask "Are they ALL yours!?" as if they feel sad for me  (not always ~ most people are very sweet & happy for me!).......I am so grateful that God has allowed me to truly enjoy Mommy-hood, that He has given me such a sweet & passionate love for my children & that I can joyfully answer & walk away smiling & thanking God for how very blessed I really am!  

• When I'm discouraged that I'm not the Wife & Mommy that I want to be.......I am grateful that God is working in my heart & teaching me new things every day & that I have an extremely patient & enduring Hubby & little girls who all happen to love me so unconditionally!

• When I just finish mopping the kitchen floor & return to see sweet little footprints where I hoped to see nothing but clean.......I am grateful for who those precious little feet belong to & realize that keeping a tidy & comfy home FOR the twelve little (& big!) feet that I love is the very reason that I clean!  

• When I am giving in to the sin of selfish ambition & I wonder if my "gifts" are being used or "noticed".......I am grateful that God helps me to remember that the gifts I'm cultivating right now are the ones that really matter!  What I am doing will affect 5 sweet little girls & 1 awesome man's lives forever!  I am grateful that God helps me ~ NOT always ~ but sometimes to.......tell my girls about Jesus, joyfully change my sweet baby's 7th diaper that day, take my sweet little newly potty-trained toddler to the potty as many times as necessary, have real big-girl conversations with my sweet big girls, show my girls I love their Daddy, kiss owie's, apply "NEW-sporin" & Dora Band-aids with gentleness, tell my girls about Jesus, be a chef to 5 very hungry little people & one very big one, be a laundress, stain removal extraordinaire & iron-er to (what feels like) the masses, tell my girls about Jesus,  wash the pb & j off my hands, diaper cream off my shirt & glitter gel off of my face so that I can remember how to woo & romance my Hubby, teach my girls to read, write, spell, do math & have godly character, remind my girls how to love their sissy, tell my girls about Jesus, show my girls I love their Daddy, pray for their little hearts like I've never prayed before & depend on God every moment of every day for everything AND.......oh, yeah.......tell my girls about Jesus!

Last but not least, this is the absolute most important thing!

• When I am tempted to think that I NEED anything at all.......I am grateful, with all my heart I'm grateful, that my greatest need has been taken care of!  My sweet & precious Savior Jesus died on the cross for ME!  He died for this wretched sinner!  He took my sin upon Himself, bore the punishment I could never bare, endured agony on the cross, in His perfect, sinless body, on that tree, for me!  He made me clean & pure & brought me into sweet fellowship with my God!  So often my heart is tempted to think that I need, but I am so grateful that He has given me everything I could ever need!  AND.......God has been so amazingly kind, gracious, generous & loving & given me way more than I could've ever asked or imagined when He gave me my amazing Hubby & 5 precious baby girls!  God is SO good!  I am so grateful!