I never sit outside on my back porch.
In fact, I insisted we buy these lights for it over a year ago… and I don’t think I’ve ever turned them on. Sitting on the porch was never appealing after a long day at work and the need to wrestle three boys through homework, bath, and bed. So, I let the porch gather dust and leaves and fade away over time behind the drawn curtains.
Then on Friday, I asked my husband if he’d clean it up for me… and he and my boys worked together on tidying up the porch. And yesterday, I finally took the time to sit out there awhile.
I watched my boys hunt for eggs and try valiantly to destroy a sloth-shaped piñata. And when they were all inside watching cartoons before dinner, I sat by myself and enjoyed the gentle sounds of chickens clucking and the breeze blowing the branches of our trees.
It’s Monday again. And, to be honest, Mondays are still hard as I stare down a new list of e-learning tasks laying next to my own to-do list and try and think of new things for my pre-k boys to do. Mondays are also hard because alarms in my phone start going off reminding me of meetings, appointments, and soccer practices long since cancelled or postponed indefinitely.
So as my boys sleep and I enjoy the quiet for just a few more minutes this morning – I’m pausing to remember those porch moments from yesterday.
I’m taking a moment to breathe in, breathe out, and find some gratitude.
“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything.
Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God.
For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.” (Thomas Merton)
What are you grateful for today? Where today can you pause and notice the goodness of God?
