Gratitude Day 492

Tues., July 28, 2020

Psalm 86:2 – Guard my life, for I’m your faithful friend, your loyal servant for life. I turn to you in faith, my God, my hero; come and rescue me!

Mid-March seems like such a long time ago.

A time when we ate inside restaurants, attended basketball games, watched movies on a big screen and hugged one another.

While so much seems different today than 4.5 months ago, there are also things I wish we would embrace and celebrate for years to come.  

I wish we would celebrate that COVID-19 ramped up just as spring began. I hope you have enjoyed hours and hours outside this spring and summer. I can’t imagine how much more virus fatigue we would have now IF the first U.S. cases happened in November … right before the holidays and as winter began. Hibernation would have taken on a whole new meaning!

I wish we truly appreciate the little things to the depths of our hearts and bellies: hugging an unseen grandchild or grandparent; an unexpected phone call or card in the mail; time to sit and be; the beautiful flowers and garden produce we’re raising this year. I pray we see these as the very most important things in life and not whether we have the latest material item or the largest bank account.

I pray we remember to purchase things locally and appreciate those who keep our communities running. May we all be more appreciative of our local teachers and school administrators, essential personal and those who’ve kept working for the benefit of others within our community.

I wish we are more filled with grace: slower to judge, faster to assist a person in need and more committed to seeing things from God’s view and not just our own. May we listen carefully when someone has a different position than we do about something and be patient until it hurts. I pray we accept that we’re not the only ones with the best and right ideas.

I wish that we make ourselves more of the solution than the problem. May we bring forth an attitude of easing the challenges rather than adding to them.

I wish and pray we make sound choices these days. For ourselves. For others. For the benefit of loved ones.  

I pray that we depend upon God and not ourselves as these days of COVID-19 drag on. May we turn to the One who desperately wants to support and uphold us … whether we want to be held or not.

For long-term lessons that we can discover and embrace from COVID-19, I am grateful.

Blessings –

Dianne

Dear God – So often, we focus on the short-term when there is so much we can discover when we keep a long-term view as well. Certainly, You are committed to the long-term design. May we embrace and come to You to help us discover this right now. Amen.  

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