It’s been a busy day…a busy week, in fact, and somehow it has rolled around to Monday again when I wasn’t paying attention!  I’ve taken down window screens and washed them; completed two loads of laundry; designed, crafted and hung new window treatments in the breakfast area; bagged up two lawn-size trash bags of items to donate; and just finished lunch.  There are a host of other chores that need doing but I’m feeling a little lazy right this minute.

Today is a special day.  Not only is it Monday, it is also a holiday AND, shocker, the weather is absolutely perfect!

Days like this really bring out the gratitude in me.  I am so grateful to God for these sparkling days, full of sunshine and blue skies.  I suppose if we had them all the time around here, I’d get rather blasé about them.  But we don’t, and I am grateful for a day of moderate temperatures, low humidity, and sunshine, sunshine, SUNSHINE!!!

It’s a funny thing about gratitude – at least, for me.  Take this one little thing – a beautiful day.  I am so grateful for it that the gratitude seems to be growing in me and spilling over into other areas of my life.  Having expressed thanks for the beautiful day, my thoughts turned to other things I am grateful for, and I began thanking God for those, too.  Soon, simply saying thanks wasn’t enough.  I had to turn on the worship music and begin thanking Him in earnest for His goodness.

Those few minutes of worship have made my day perfect.  The attitude of gratitude brings with it a peace that passes all understanding and I am spiritually resting in His arms even as I physically complete my daily tasks.  I am so peaceful as I work around the house completing little chores and making room for whatever may be coming next.  It’s kind of an early Spring cleaning – of the house and of me!

I’ve discovered something else:  it doesn’t matter how bad my circumstances look (and believe me, I have been in and am in the midst of horrendous circumstances), the peace that passes all understanding is readily available to me whenever I turn my eyes and my heart on the peace-giver.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me!