Appreciation

At a meeting recently, we were talking about 'appreciation'. The leader read a few lines out of a book which caused me to go out and buy the book. It's called 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp. It did not turn out to be the kind of book I thought it would be. It's funny how your mind interprets things. Anyway, not to say that the book is not good...it is...it's just that it 'reads' differently than I was expecting.

Having said that, so far, one particular thought she expressed stood out to me. Now, I am taking it a bit out of context, but it has a significant meaning in the way I want to express it.  Here goes...

"Do not distain the small.  The whole of the life -- even the hard -- is made up of the minute parts, and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole."

Now she was talking about something different, but the thought remains intact. Think about the small things in your life, appreciate them and give them their proper recognition. The small things add up to the whole.

How is your life going? Perhaps if you are complaining, or feeling let down or sorry for yourself, take a moment to look at the 'small things' and begin the appreciation there. Giving thanks for them and building on them for a better and deeper appreciation of all that happens in your life.  Even the valleys in your life can be appreciated later from the mountain tops.

As I sit at my kitchen counter, looking out my full screen door at the lush green of my backyard, listening to the birds chirp and the sun cast shadows against the fence, I so appreciate the freshness and newness of the morning. I will start my day with these 'thankful' thoughts and try to appreciate each new experience as the day goes on. How 'bout you?