I Want You All to Know Im Thankful for You

Practicing gratitude has get something of a tendency lately—as if developing an inner sense of thankfulness has numerous mental and physical health benefits is new information! Don't get me wrong; I'grand glad it is 'trending' just puzzled to some caste, because I understand gratitude to be a formative process throughout childhood and beyond.

Equally nosotros all tend to (I imagine), I had assumed others were raised with the same kind of emphasis on gratefulness that my parents instilled in me. So, instead of discussing here 'ways to develop a more grateful child', I'd like to simply lead by example. In a yr that ends the aforementioned way information technology started and a fourth dimension and then strange that information technology is a first for my lifetime, I would like to share with y'all the things I am thankful for this twelvemonth.

i. A Pause

The challenges of this year take been beyond stressful in many means. Still I look out the window and catch the sunday's rays; I see a blue heaven and notice the breeze moving the leaves. I wonder, 'Would I exist attentive to these things—would I be noticing the crisp fall air—if things hadn't unraveled as they have this twelvemonth?' I truly dubiety it.

I have been outside more than this year, and my attention has been drawn to the simple blessings of the twenty-four hours. I've also been granted new spaces of fourth dimension in my life because so many things have been canceled or reduced due to restrictions on gathering. If this weren't 2020, chances are I'd be rushing virtually doing all the stuff of life, and I would rarely pause to detect the gifts of each twenty-four hours.

I am so grateful for the increased spaces in my life—for less decorated and rushing here and there, and more settled quiet. Granted, there have been major disruptions to the repose, like those first few months when all the kids were doing remote learning at domicile. This brings me to my 2d item on the list...

2. A School That Supports, Listens, and Cares

It was incredibly stretching to watch the world reel from fearfulness and protocols and pandemic mitigation, and the stretching was felt not only in observing the outside world just in our homes and schools—hitting not only shut to home but IN  our dwelling! There were days of tears and frustrations, computers that froze and Zoom calls that glitched. The pressure to attempt to be proficient students vicious heavy on our kids at first. The stress was palpable.

Fortunately, Clapham School monitored the online learning process carefully, re-grouped, adjusted the curriculum and expectations, and fabricated incredible accommodations to ensure that both learning and peace were attainable. I accept no idea how difficult information technology must take been for teachers and administrators during the spring when the world seemed to be falling apart. Clapham went from a school with a no technology policy to a full-fledged online school virtually overnight. My kids were sought out for 1-on-ane Zoom chats by their teachers. They had Zoom friend visits—initiated by their teachers. It was wonderful!

I am humbled by the flexibility and growth mindset modeled by the staff, and I am so grateful for this kind of loving care and support from our school.

3. A Child That Wants To Larn

Speaking of school, here is ane surprising gift of 2020, at least for our family.

It merely so happened that there came a day when our kids had to stay home due to corona-potential. This mean solar day was specially challenging to connect to online school. Two of my kids—each at a different time—got extremely frustrated and said, "I don't like doing school online! I don't learn very well through the screen! I but want to go to school so I can learn!"

It may very well be every parent's dream to hear their kid say something to the effect of: "I just want to get to school to learn things!"

Enter 2020: a dream come up true!

four. Refining

2020 has given ample opportunities for refining each of us. I have felt it deeply. I idea I was somewhat of a patient person. But when you need to run into someone on a Zoom call where every one-half-sentence is broken, you are presented with a option: patience or frustration.

I have felt these kinds of refining moments repeatedly, especially when I take to don a mask and realize I left information technology safely tucked abroad in my machine. Returning to the car to retrieve the mask (one more than time) is 1 more inconvenience and nuisance—an interruption to my day and life. It would exist easy to live in lament style about all the abrasive things of 2020. It is why this practice of gratitude is so necessary: nosotros need to adjust our outlook.

All those annoying inconveniences that take suddenly been thrust upon me have given me the opportunity to slow downwards and grow in patience. I compare information technology to the shock that comes with bringing domicile your start baby. No longer tin you rush out the door with simply keys and wallet. With a new babe, every last resource must be considered—change of clothes for y'all and babe in case y'all get spit up on, burp cloth, water bottle for you if you're nursing considering that sudden thirst will hit when you lot don't expect it, the diaper bag, the wipes, and on and on. People generally have 9 months to arrange to some of the protocols of new-baby-flavor. All the same this year, the whole earth was asked to brand huge adjustments in a matter of days.

I believe we've all mayhap grown more patient, tolerant and resilient (except, of grade, when it comes to politics. In that, likely, in that location is no 'give'—tongue-firmly-in-cheek).

5. Commonage Reflection

I accept ever been, and hope to always be, a self-reflective person. That is, I seek to live in sensation of how I alive life. I am aware of how time is spent and how resource are used. I feel that this year, in particular, has lent itself to larger swaths of people engaging in cocky-reflection. I am not a become-get-go person, just many in my life are. I've seen friends and family boring down and yield to the restrictions of life-on-the-go. Travel has been dramatically reduced or canceled, business opportunities accept been lost, and many have had to reassess the stop goal of their life's work.

While losses take been tremendous and disappointments abound, we are all invited to a commonage reflection: Can I trust God in these losses? Can I grieve in the infinite granted me past these cancellations? Can I use this time differently than I accept been? I'm grateful that more and more, I am noticing people slowing their lives downwardly just enough to ask themselves hard questions.

6. Peace

So much about 2020 has not felt peaceful at all. It has felt disruptive, challenging, stretching, even depressing at times. For some, it has felt a bit like slow torture or a marathon they never intended to run. Even with all the turmoil in the world—feet over illness and loved ones, political upheavals, ruined personal plans, mounting losses and disappointments—I accept establish a settled peace in my soul that 'All Shall Be Well' (to quote the bully mystic, Julian of Norwich).

I hear Jesus' words in my ear, "Peace I get out with y'all, my peace I give to you lot—not every bit the world gives..." (John fourteen). This makes me laugh—'not every bit the world gives '!?! The globe doesn't  give peace—hardly whatsoever at all. It may attempt to. But it does not yield the kind of peace that confidently resides deep inside me—that is a peace only Jesus can give. It is this peace I am grateful for.

vii. Cloth Providence

In the Lord'southward prayer, nosotros ask, "Requite usa this twenty-four hours our daily breadstuff." And while I believe that this asking refers equally much to the Bread of Life (which Jesus speaks of in John half dozen), it also refers to our daily needs and provisions. In traditions where this prayer is said frequently, I hope information technology is not passed over lightly—that all nosotros need, we are to seek from the hand of God. I live this way—daily seeking the God Who provides. I seek not only His provision but also His heart and grace. So, I would be remiss in failing to thank Him for all He does provide—every single day.

"All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!" says the hymn writer.

Our dwelling is warm enough; we accept food on our table. We gather around our table each evening and relish a meal—sometimes as simple as soup and bread, and sometimes grander with other provisions. Nosotros lack naught.

When you peel the apples for the pie this thanksgiving, mayhap hold it in your hand for just a moment—odour its rich sweetness, reflect on the God who makes apples grow, and be glad for the simple gift.

I'1000 thankful for apples, electricity, blankets, firewood, the gas in our tank, the few dollars in our bank, that all come from the hand of God. I'm thankful for a hubby capable of working, for children who have strong bodies and minds then that they can learn and grow, for vehicles to drive, coats to wear, and for a potted plant in my window. All of these are gifts I'm thankful for.

eight. Faithful Leaders

In this pandemic year, I am peculiarly thankful for schoolhouse and church leaders who have navigated and made hard decisions for our communities—even to the chagrin of those who disagree with their decisions. I am so grateful that I am not the ane making decisions for others, that leaders 'accept the hit', so to speak, for making hard calls. I so admire their stamina, faithfulness, integrity, patience, listening ears, and steady leadership. I am less enlightened of the broader scope of political leaders or health section personnel, but I know many of these are seeking means to make the all-time decisions for everyone. They have to put up with cynical, suspicious, angry, and volatile arguments on both sides of the spectrum.

I firmly adhere to what Scripture teaches nearly governing authorities—that we are called to submit to them (unless they enquire us to sin, of course). For church leaders, we should aim to 'brand their work a joy and non a burden.' Part of this is thanking them. I am grateful for these leaders who protect and beloved those they atomic number 82.

9. Reclaimed time with our kids

Our domicile life is far from perfect—we have our friction and personality tensions—a lot! This past year has been such a gift to our family unit—I about wonder if God didn't course-correct the whole world, if only for our family. (That's my existential theology coming through!) Our oldest was in his final year of high school. As the oldest and the most tired of beingness in our family, I'thou certain he was biding his time before escaping the dreariness of his siblings annoying him and me asking why he didn't eat his dejeuner (etc.) Until the pandemic hit, he was filling his life with schoolhouse, piece of work, and a few church/social activities. He begrudgingly sabbatum at our tabular array for supper, though not every night of the week. I am not saying he was ungrateful; he was merely tired of being a child.

At the same time, our loftier school junior filled her life with school, babysitting, and a growing social life. We were seeing her less besides. This is the fashion things progress, and parents acquire to adjust and allow become as their children sprout wings. But and then God stopped the world (or so it seemed), our kids couldn't work. They had few, if whatsoever, social gatherings. They fifty-fifty were habitation during the day for online school. What started as a headache with online schoolhouse logistics, and the inevitable personality clashed that ascend from existence cooped up together slowly started to modify. What didn't feel like a gift turned out to be a blessing! Slowly, but consistently nosotros began to see huge changes. Our kids played board games...together (oh my!). My husband played a strategic game each evening with our soonhoped-for graduate. He would never have taken that time so regularly when he could've been working and earning money! I feel similar the final six months of our oldest existence at habitation were totally transformed by the forced changes in the world. It was a gift we could never accept reclaimed.

x. God'southward Sustaining Presence

Here we are in Nov. In March, April and May, nosotros were all simply trying to survive and could hardly recollect what life would exist like half dozen months later. Many of usa probably did not believe nosotros would still confront these challenges and that life would 'exist back to normal' (whatever normal may look like for you lot). And yet the sun still shines, we are hither, we are well (plenty), and nosotros have what we need for today.

I am confident that God volition continue to evidence up each and every 24-hour interval for the rest of my life—even in the coming weeks and months. I look alee to 2021. Instead of wanting more predictability, more 'return to normal', possibly there is a small yearning for more than exploration, more than adventure, more resilience, more orienting myself around the things that truly affair.

Perchance 2020 has been a wake-upwardly call—an invitation to return and renew, recharge, repent, re-collect ourselves, and be made anew in the image of our Maker. And I am thankful for that.

Now I ask yous, Clapham community, let's encourage each other by sharing what yous are thankful for in the comment section below.

Topics: Parent Manufactures, Thanksgiving

I Want You All to Know Im Thankful for You

Source: https://www.claphamschool.org/our-community/blog/10-things-i-am-thankful-for-in-2020-the-year-of-the-pandemic

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