Gratitude Day 264

Fri., May 3, 2019

Proverbs 3:15 – She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

I can always tell when Hubby Rick decides to clean out his desk.

Totally random things appear.

Things intended just to bring a smile to my face.

It happened again this week.

Just a little card. Left on the kitchen island. Right where Rick knew I would see it.

You see, sometimes, Rick and I can go a day or two, maybe even three or four, without having a real conversation when both of us are totally awake. Rick works nights. I try to keep a more “normal” schedule. A few words about last night’s Brewers game as Rick crawls into bed at 5 AM doesn’t really constitute a conversation. Does it?

Or a random statement as I close the bedroom door, ready to leave for work.

Unfortunately, these are sometimes normal at the Vielhuber household.

This is why our kitchen island often becomes a bridge in our relationship.

It’s where we leave little notes to each other. Yesterday’s mail. Maybe a question on an old envelope, like, “Are you getting milk?” I know, the kitchen island isn’t all sexy, but it works.

It’s also where we often leave little “surprises” or “thinking of you” diddies for each other.

Like the one I received this week.

When I saw the card addressed “P.D.,” my first thought was, “Oh, Rick left me an Easter card. Whoops, I didn’t get him an Easter card.”

Not to worry, not to worry. Let’s see what I did find inside …

Look closely. You see the word, “Anniversary?” Our anniversary is the end of August, not the end of April.

This is when I realized Rick had cleaned his desk this week.

When I asked later, yes, it was an anniversary card that he bought and lost … and rediscovered months or years later. Knowing an anniversary card will bring a smile to my face now, he went ahead and gave it to me now. You know, it just has a little more umph when you give an anniversary card four months in advance. (Or eight months later. You pick.)

What to see what the inside says? Here we go:

But the best part? The way Rick signed it:

And yes, this card brightened my day.

Who doesn’t like a little something to brighten their day? Who doesn’t like a completely unexpected reminder how special you are? Who doesn’t relish these moments when they happen?

Sometimes, life becomes a series of doing one thing after another. Work. Making a meal. A load of laundry. Paying bills. Getting the lawn mowed. Dropping off the kids at their next activity. Squeezing in a few minutes of quality time with those you love the most.

And in the process of doing all these “important” things, we forget to laugh. Smile. Find joy in some small way today.

Thank the Lord I have a spouse who makes sure I do this when I forget to. Thank the Lord he can truly take the smallest of things and make me feel oh, so special. Thank the Lord, as one checkout woman at a store once told me, “Honey, I’m guessing your house is never boring.”

How right she is.

And I wouldn’t like it any other way.

My word of encouragement today? Find one little, seemingly silly way, to express gratitude to someone else. In the process, make them laugh, smile and feel special on the inside.

Go ahead. Make their day. You … and they … will be glad you did.

For someone taking time to paint a smile on my face, I am grateful.

Holy God – it’s just a smile but oh, so important. Restore in me the confidence that I can do one small thing today that will brighten someone else’s day. And make a difference in how they feel about themselves today. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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