Wrapping it Up

I almost lost it today. 

The Explorer at the shop, Christmas wrapping and gifts yet-to-be-wrapped were strewn all over the house, and I had an endless list of errands, including a trip to the vet with Oscar, which is never a pleasant experience.  And the phone, the phone. 

It was just one of those days – I realized after I was at the cash register that I had forgotten my coupon, and the line at the post office was 8 deep when I walked in the door. When I got back from the vet, Milly had made a mess in the kitchen and as I scrubbed the ceramic tile on my knees, the gas alarm went off, so shrill, and kept going off.  The doorbell rang, the postman delivering a stack of mail to the door. Where did those cans in the yard come from?

Hair appointment at 3:30 and at 3:40 I’m circling the parking lot; can’t find a spot in the shopping chaos.  Frustrated. I felt my anxiety rising and kept thinking of how this isn’t what I had envisioned when I took the day off from work.   I had envisioned reading, relaxing, watching Christmas movies, listening to Handel’s Messiah and The Nutcracker Suite while baking, enjoying time off from work, enjoying the anticipation of Christmas.

It is a good thing I know the antidote to all of this stress, all of this anxiety, all of this frustration.  But why do I wait so late to use it?

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

-Psalm 118:24

When I want to scream, or cry, or maybe both, I count.  Counting blessings, counting gifts. Giving thanks to God.  With the mind first, and then the heart,  engaged in intentional gratitude, it is impossible to be sour and bitter and frustrated. The counting is a new thing, formally, but something I have been doing informally for the past several months, after reading about it on one of my favorite Christian blogs.  I don’t have any “rules,” but I try to count the things that are special today, in the moment  if possible , and I try to be as specific as possible. The blog is the perfect place to keep track of this, so here goes…..

1000 Gifts

1. A cozy home

2. A sweet husband who calls to check on me throughout the day

3. pugs

4. Christmas lights

5. Gifts under the tree

6. A car that works (and is paid for)

7. New telephones that work

8. December sunshine

9. comfy sweatshirts

10. Roma tomatoes

11. Backyard stargazing with Brent

I came home with tacos and highlights and we ate together.  Church visitors dropped by and brought a book: Strobel’s The Case for Christmas.  And when I look back on it, as a whole, maybe the day wasn’t so bad after all.

For more information on counting 1000 Gifts:

Gratitude Community