Small Success: Saying "Thank You"

From the past week:

I know God breaks into our lives every day. Last week, God opted to remind me: you are not in charge, I am not done with you, and I am always everywhere in all of time, Good, lavish and beautiful.

We'd had an adult discussion about finances. I told my husband we couldn't do something we both very much wanted to do. Finally, in frustration, I slammed the table and announced, "The only way we can do this, is if someone calls me out of the blue today and offers me a job for x amount of dollars." I thought I'd handled it.

An hour later, the phone rang. It's not a job offer, but it was a reminder that there are possibilities beyond your imagination Horatio ... Sherry.

Then, I got into analysis. If I got the job, I'd have to do this and that, pay for child care, taxes, clothing...commuting...and I thought afterward, I'd been an ungrateful creature. The reading about the Israelites grumbling in the desert reminded me that God desires our love, and gratitude is love. So I apologized to God and went about the business of the day.

That evening, I made a pitch at the Catholic Writers Conference Online. They asked for a letter outlining my plan. I sent it. Come Monday, they asked for a formal proposal and the first chapter. It felt overwhelming, and I'm still starry-eyed about it even as I begin the hard work of putting it together.

But I went to Adoration that night and all I could say was, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou God." It was hard to get out enough thank yous to express how absurd the day felt.

Reality asserted itself the next day.

A teen and the ten-year-old melted down. There was a toilet clogged, unexpected bills, the car needed some TLC and I still hadn't picked up my computer from the shop. But I told myself to still say, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou God," and oddly enough, saying that to God, made dealing with all the stuff, bearable, endurable, possible. Gratitude is love. The Israelites looked at the bronze serpent Moses had fastened on a staff and were healed. Looking at the crucifix made the sufferings of a day, as minute and discrete as some of them are, something I could weather.

Over the weekend, I heard of the spiritual mantra of the Sisters of Notre Dame, "Everywhere and always, God is great. God is great, everywhere and always." It was another way of saying thank you. It was a subtle way (or not so subtle) of God reminding me, to give thanks. To say, "Thank you, God."

So today, we celebrate small successes and big ones ... by saying the same thing always, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, God."

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Please note that we'll be taking next Thursday off from Small Success, as it's Holy Thursday. See you after Easter!