FINDING GRATITUDE AT FUNWASH

In 2013, I signed up to become a Gratitude Partner of another member of Arkansas Women Bloggers, and Jacqueline Wolven paired me with a young woman who’s probably younger than my children. Since then, nearly every day for the past 14 months, Rachel Hough and I have emailed each other a list of three things for which we feel thankful. In the process, we’ve learned a lot about one another's lives. This September when we met in person at the AWB conference, we cemented our friendship.

Identifying and sharing my gratitude list almost every day for over a year (occasionally we miss) has helped me become more aware of both the large and small blessings in life.

That mind-set helped me get through a particularly annoying day this week.

Best Laid Plans & All That

Wednesday, I was happy to see the rain. I’d stay home, catch up on laundry and write. The list I emailed Rachel reflected those plans.

Today I am thankful for:

1. The rain.

2. Being able to stay home and write.

3. The Word Press class I’ll be taking tonight.

Then the mop broke,
adding insult to injury

However, my day took a challenging turn when I splashed across the laundry room to put the first load of clothes in the dryer. After a little investigation involving more water, we realized the washer’s tub was leaking. Get the mop and bucket.
.

With great effort, I made a new list in my mind as I traded my soft at-home garb for jeans, a red shirt (to cheer me) and put on my James Avery Fruit of the Spirit bracelet (with the words turned toward me because I was going to need the reminder).

Terry and I headed out. A little rain never hurt anyone.

Joy, Peace, Longsuffering

I was grateful that:

1. The other four loads I had sorted into piles on the floor soaked up some of the water and kept it from going into the breakfast room.

2. Terry was home.

3. The problem was easily identified.

4. We could afford to buy a new washer.

First Things First

After scarfing down an awesome hamburger at David’s Burgers, we hit Lowe’s. Let me tell you, there are some handsome washers and dryers available these days. After much discussion, we settled on an LG front-loaders.

I didn't know at the time that

LG stands for my motto, Life's Good

Yes, they were both in stock and we could take the washer with us, and they’d deliver the dryer Friday. That is, we could take the washer with us if we could wait an hour while they retrieved it from the middle of a sea of appliances back in the warehouse.

Hmmm. Deliver it Friday with the dryer.

Just Do It

I worked on my attitude as we drove home in the rain.

There were too many loads of laundry to impose upon neighbors (we have good ones on both sides of us), not to mention going back and forth in the rain. Simpler to visit FunWash again, especially now that I knew the ropes—sort of.

Once home, Terry helped me load the clothes into the trunk and off I went. After trading a Twenty for Quarters and Tokens and starting four washers, I finally got down to writing.

But the topic had changed.

I was grateful for:

1. Knowing how to use the change machine.

2. The four empty washers in a row.

3. The place being cleaner than last time.

4. A new friend, Kim, who was tall enough to help retrieve my clothes out of the top dryer after I accidentally put my money in the wrong slot. (I traded her my leftover tokens for real dollars. She also took my card.)

5. The rain had slacked up when Kim and I carried my clothes to the car.

By the time I started home, the rain had turned to mist.

Good Timing

Once home, I decided to call the group sponsoring the Word Press class to double check the location.

Well, heck.

For the second time, the class had been cancelled due to low enrollment. “She” (not the person I was talking with) had emailed me and I had told her to give me a credit.

Not.

With great effort, I added to my list.

I was grateful for:

1. Thinking to call.

2. Not having to get out in the fog and rain.

As I write this today, the sun is shining. My new washer and dryer have been delivered. Plus, I received an email notification that the fee for that class had been credited back to my Visa.

And I am grateful.

What about you. What are you grateful for today?

No matter what happens, always be thankful,

for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

I Thess. 5:18

Labels: Gratitude, Interruptions