Grateful in the Chaos

No matter what is happening in the world, Sheri Wohlfert maintains that we can always find ways to be thankful.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! (Chronicles 16:8)

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!” If I had a dollar for every time I have heard or spoken that phrase I could probably buy that new baby Kuerig I’d love to put in my classroom! But honestly … during nutty times like these, some days it takes some thinking to come up with something good to say when my world feels as messy as a teenager’s bedroom!

As I was thinking about that the other day the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that I can always say “thank you,” because God is constantly doing things I can be thankful for.

I sat for a few minutes to make a thank you list and things that have happened recently started popping into my head. The Father knows so well what we need that the first few made me laugh. I guess those are the ones I’m supposed to share.

I was thankful for new shoes … I opened dozens of boxes in the clearance section and found a shoe that was like walking on a cloud! Perfect fit, on sale for $17.99, great style and color -- but there was only one in the box. I searched through twenty more boxes and came up empty. I was so disappointed. As I was leaving the shoe section, clear over in the men's shoe department I found the shoe on display. I knew it couldn’t be a man's shoe but I still searched all the shelves looking for more and there were zero! I picked it up and it was the same size so I knew it was the match! Nothing like a treasure hunt! Thank you, God, for helping me find things that just go together.
I’m thankful for little surprises, like the parent who had flowers delivered to school and the only “common” area we can share this year is the front desk where we stop each morning to record our temperature and fill out the health form. God often adds beauty where we don’t see much so we have to be looking.
I’m thankful when someone I love gets a surprise gift. The 3-day-old dead bird that came from a coat pocket wasn’t the best gift for the kindergarten teacher, but I was thankful for the giant laughs that we all shared when we heard about her gift.
I’m thankful for simple things and a FABULOUS principal to work for during this craziness. His simple gift of “you may wear jeans until Christmas” was priceless and I’m so happy! (See why I needed new shoes?)
I’m thankful for good feedback. According to a lovely little student, we’re teaching a lot of good things at St. Mary School, but she reported that she’s a little disappointed she hasn’t learned about massage yet and she’s very curious about when we might be teaching that.

Even as the crazy roars on … we have so much to be thankful for and pondering those things leaves you feeling much better!