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BIRTHDAY Lesson In Gratitude!!

This past Monday was my birthday and to be honest, I'd completely forgotten about it.
I've been so focused on school, teaching, gigs, and ministry lately that I completely bypassed stress on the way to busy.


My mom called me AT 6 AM to play (over the phone) our traditional birthday song for each other, Solomon Burke's "Today Is Your Birthday" and my eyes widened. I smiled through gritted teeth because, for a moment, realizing it was my birthday was added stress. On top of everything I'm dealing with, going through, and contemplating, I'm aging? Sheesh.


I went through the day's routine with classes, teaching lessons and rehearsals. My parents insisted on taking me out for dinner and it was nice. I really love those guys. Coolest people I know, for real. After dinner, in the car, I started thinking about the past year and all its ups and downs and I got emotional.


I got lost in thoughts of my history:
Failure,
Resilience,
Lonliness,
AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS,
Heartache,
Being Pursued,
And so much love and affection from the most amazing man I've ever met, Jesus.


If I had a nickel for every even unconscious unspoken complaint about my life, my life circumstances, or the things I've been through (at my own hand or others), I'd be somewhere on Tybee Island, selling sno cones and crab legs just for the fun of it.


Gratitude is consciously focusing on what you DO have instead of unconsciously complaining about what you DON'T have.


The crazy thing is, I haven't even touched 30 yet...


"Marvelous things will happen!"
- James and the Giant Peach


They already are!




Sidenote:
There's nothing clever or enlightened about CHOOSING to focus on all the bad in your life. That's a lie from the pits...

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