I am grateful that I’m learning to not give or make up excuses any longer. I am who I am. I am who I want to be. And if I don’t like me, it’s up to me to do something about it and change.

I am grateful for an email from Uncle Charlie and Aunt Patsy.

I am grateful for a good counseling session last night, and for some excellent advice.

I am grateful for haricort vert, otherwise known as green beans. Wrapped in bacon, drizzled with brown sugar, deep fried, or straight out of the can. Mmmmm.

I am grateful for a new challenge to lose weight again. It’s a never-ending challenge, but I’m still excited. Besides, it’s one more way to reconnect with my daughter, and that makes it all the more worth it.

I am grateful for potential thunderstorms – I love thunderstorms.

I am grateful for a good umbrella.

I am grateful that we didn’t have a dishwasher when I was young. I appreciate those memories of having to stand at that sink and use the Palmolive and spend time with my sister. These days, you rarely see a dish strainer unless you are in my Dad’s apartment. I like washing and drying dishes immediately after making them dirty and putting them back away in their place, rather than letting them sit in the sink to spoil a pretty kitchen or soak in nasty cold water or hang out in an appliance box, sometimes for days, and then realizing the pan or knife you need is hidden inside, coated with stuck on, dried on food. I am grateful for squeaky clean, sparkling glasses and dishes and silverware, and grateful for clean dishwater. Okay, I’m done with this topic now. 

I am grateful for my corner of the office, now decorated with pictures of all six of my grandchildren.

I am grateful for trash bags – the ones that are impenetrable, the ones that smell like Febreze, the ones that are elastic at the top, the ones with the built in ties – and trash bags in general.

And I’m grateful for trash cans that are clean because of trash bags. Someone should invent microwave bags that keep the inside of the microwave clean, so that when my egg explodes and blows the carefully placed and tucked paper towel up/off, my half-radiated egg wouldn’t go everywhere.

I am grateful for made-from-scratch German chocolate cake.

I am grateful for a savings account.

I am grateful for the color purple. Not the movie, although it’s probably a perfectly fine movie – just the color.

I am grateful that I haven’t had to deal with a flat tire yet. My day is coming, I’m sure.

And finally, I am grateful for this wonderful story that was part of my devotions this morning:

 “Janelle, can you unload the dishwasher?” my mom once yelled from the other room when I was young. As soon as I heard this, I realized that I had somehow slipped up. I had spent years perfecting my ability to know where the dishwasher was in its cycle so as to conveniently be in my room when it came time to unload.

Panicked, I froze when I heard the request. How could I have let down my guard?! What was I going to do?! With nothing better to do than to sit there and continue to watch television, I felt as if defeat was inevitable.

But before I threw up the white flag and helped my mom, I just had to try something, anything that would get me out doing this chore. From out of my mouth, with very little hope of success, came the words, “But mom, I’m too cute to unload the dishwasher.”

Once I had given the outrageously stupid argument, I did the only thing I knew to do next – nothing. I sat there waiting to hear, “Janelle Yvonne Baker,” (because being in trouble meant using my full name), “you get in here and unload this dishwasher. RIGHT. NOW.”

But I never heard those words. Nor did I hear any other words from my mom. The only thing I heard was the sound of the plates clapping together and silverware jingling as my mom put away each and every dish all by herself.

A song of victory echoed in my heart. I couldn’t believe that I had managed to pull that off! I was a genius!!

But looking back now, I can’t seem to see anything really smart about what I did to my mom that day. And I wish I could say that it only happened that one time, but unfortunately I used this free-ticket phrase to get out of anything undesirable so often that my parents still call me “Cute Girl” to this day.

I don’t feel justified in my actions. In fact, I feel far removed from it. I’m ashamed that I was so lazy and inconsiderate that I continually talked my way out of doing what was right and helpful to someone I deeply care about.

But excuses are so easy to throw out there, aren’t they? I keep a stocked arsenal ready for every occasion. “I’ve got a deadline I have to meet.” “I think I might have plans that weekend.” “It’s just too cold out.”

There are times that these excuses are legitimate when it comes to not attending an event or missing a meeting, but when it is a matter of following Jesus, I’m guessing they sound a lot more like, “I’m too cute to unload the dishwasher.” And not just in the sense of following Jesus as it refers to becoming a Christian, but in really following the instructions he’s given us to love, to forgive, and obey.

It’s that day-to-day following where the excuses flow more easily. “I would give more, but I am saving for retirement.” “I would be more regular in worship, but our lives are so busy right now with the kids.” “If I tell her that I’m sorry, she will think that I’m weak.” Let’s face it… those are all just really “I’m too cute” statements.

I fight a constant battle to not go into excuse mode when it comes to my spiritual life. But I have to remind myself of my priorities – what is really important to me. Because I don’t want to get to the end of my life and look back to see I had given up opportunities for joy and blessings because I had told Jesus that I was just too cute to follow him.  – Janelle Gregory (serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist)