Day 28 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (Seeing old things a new way)

I love the whole "repurposing" movement that is going on right now.  That probably isn't surprising considering how much I love thrift stores and yard sales. I mean if I had to pick one thing I like most about no longer selling real estate it is having my  Saturday mornings free for yard sales again. But the whole recycle repurpose thing has taken on a life of it's own. There are shows on HGTV and DIY about repurposing. (notice how they had to give it a cool name.... repurposing sounds great doesn't it). 


My problem is I am crafty but not creative. There is a HUGE difference. I am good at making things but not so good with coming up with the ideas for the things.  I struggle to see things in a new way.  An old window is just an old window to me until I see something cool done with it. That is why I love craft classes and magazines and those HGTV shows. Give me the idea and I can run with it.


But right now I am seeing something else in a new way. Something that I thought was tried and over done.  Right now I am seeing thankfulness in a new way.  That is kind of funny considering the fact that "everyone" has talked about it for years. Gratitude journals take up entire shelves at the local Christian book store.  The idea that we are to be grateful for all things in something we hear all the time.  As a matter of fact it has been done and talked about so much that if I hear someone talking about it or see a book about it I think "Yeah Yeah be grateful ...got it".

So this looking at an old thing in a new way started about a month ago.  I was looking for a picture of rain to post on this blog.  I found the perfect picture in google images. I went to the page it was from to make sure it wasn't someone's personal photo I was about to steal. It was on a blog from a couple years ago. I blog where the writer was doing so many days of things she loves.  I thought what a neat idea for a blog.  Then on her page there was a link to a blog on Thankfulness and the two kinda merged in my head and the idea for my 30 Days of Thankfulness sprouted.  I didn't go into it seeing thankfulness any different it just sounded fun.  First the Gardener must prepare the soil.


Then a few days into it I started the new book for our Tuesday night study.  One of the first things she talks about is thankfulness and the lack of it. That got me to thinking. Next the seeds are planted.


Then through out the day I would see something silly or small and think that could be something to put in my Thankfulness Blog. Or someone would see me at the grocery store and say "Warm Fuzzies huh?" I would laugh and say "Yep Warm Fuzzies" Then the fertilizer is applied.


Seeing something old (gratitude) as something new (thankfulness) has started to grow and I realize I am looking at things a little different. Then a friend says you should check out this book that I got today called "One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp" so I download the book and start to read it. Now the plants are watered.

I am captivated (my mind is literally as it is pretty much all I am thinking about right now) by her idea that thankfulness for the small silly things in life as well as the big amazing things is truly really what life is all about.  That it is the highest form of worship.  That it is the only way to true joy. That it is the greatest of all gifts we can give our children.... to be thankful in all things.  I know it is all a growing process. You don't plant a garden and get fruit the next day. I see how with this 30 Days of Thankfulness the soil of my soul was being tilled and weeded and prepared so that I wouldn't read the title of the book Heather suggested and say "Great another book on gratitude".I am not sure how long it will take for this to grow.  What I do know is that I know what seeds were planted and I am sure of the eventual outcome.


A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ. ~~ Ann Voskamp the harvest.


Shell