Thankfulness.

Sometimes I am defeated before I even put my feet on the floor in the morning.  Some days I open my eyes, realize it is time to get up and start a new day, and I just want to pull the covers back over my head.  This all over again today?  Really?

A journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.

Truthfully, I love my job.  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.  I would never  choose not to stay home with my kiddos.  But it's hard.  I have learned that my attitude about my job makes all the difference.

So this week, I am practicing something new.  When I am feeling negativity I fight that feeling with thankfulness.  I tell you people... it works.

It even worked on the sticky jelly prints that my daughter decided to wipe on every surface of my kitchen.  "Thank you Lord for my daughter's 10 little fingers."  When daunted by the task of cleaning my house (again) I said "Thank you Lord for the roof over my head that you have provided for my family. The roof that shelters us from the rain and the sun." 

There was one time this week that it was the most difficult to be thankful instead of ticked....  Let me paint the picture for you.  3 of my four children are at school and my baby is napping.  It rarely happens.  I spend my precious hours doing laundry and sweeping and mopping my kitchen floor by hand.  (On a side note..one of my pet peeves is walking into the kitchen and stepping on left over food and crumbs with my bare feet) (Most days I just wear shoes but today I decided to remedy the situation.)   I stop and admire my perfect, untouched floor before I leave to go and pick up my preschooler. I feel a sense of satisfaction.
After arriving home she immediately starts to unpack her bag.  In slow motion I see her pull out her opened bag of half eaten Doritos and dump it on my gleaming, crumb free floor.  "I sorry Mommy."  It was almost humorous.

I stood there for a second wanting to scream and then said, "Thank you Jesus for the children that I prayed for.  You have given me more than the desires of my heart." Totally not what I wanted to say, mind you!  Was that a test God?  It had to be.  I passed with flying colors.

I smile as my daughter and I pick up Doritos of the floor. I take another step on my journey.  I keep working on my thankful heart.  I am God's work in progress.