My husband has cancer.
My house is a disaster zone.
My dog has something wrong with herself and is pooping in all the corners.
I have forgotten how to cook.
The washing machine is sick and needs a tune-up — not the best time for us.
Alexa is temperamental.
There won’t be a turkey in my oven this year, once again.
My back and shoulders hurt and I can’t just run down the street for a massage.
I miss my mama.
Even after all this time, the sting is still there, the reconciliation is still hanging.
There is so much to do, and I need to clean every last surface in this house, but we live in a disaster zone and the attempt would be futile.

Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! – Psalm 107:21

When you ask God in the morning for His guidance through the day,
Thank Him for the many blessings He in love has sent your way.
When you’re asking aid from Heaven, mingle with your morning prayer,
A word of praise and gratitude for all His kindly care. – Mark Bullock

When you learn to do this, it becomes a very practical habit. When washing the dishes, thank God for hot water. When taking your medicine, thank Him for your doctor and for advanced medical technology. When grabbing a shopping cart at the grocery store, thank Him for the abundance of food in the store. When dressing in the morning, thank Him for providing your clothing. When retiring at night, thank Him for the blessings of darkness and moonlight; upon rising, thank Him for awakening you to a new day. 

Blessings abound, so thank God for scattering them all around you.

I am grateful for the guys and lady who have had a hand in helping Sam’s vision for this 100-year-old structure come to fruition – a project in progress and one that is a little on hyper drive for the next week.

I am grateful that the noisy washing machine still washes, albeit sounding like the floor installer this afternoon with the banging and clanking.

I am grateful that I have an abundance of toilet paper and John Deere carpet cleaner to clean up Natia’s deposits.

I am grateful that small town USA has a terrific grocery store and deli that is providing us with a smoked turkey for two, compliments of a husband with a huge heart.

I am grateful that Alexa knows what to do when I say, “ALEXA, TURN OFF.”

I am grateful that I have a huge stack of dust rags to hand out to all of our guests next Saturday if the disaster zone is still reality.

I am grateful for a HUMONGO circle of friends and family who will walk through our doors next week and won’t see the layer of dust, or if they do, they will just sign in it like a guest book…or use the dust rags.

I am grateful for the relief feeling when I lay my weary back and shoulders on my bed every evening.

And I am grateful that in this precarious season we find ourselves in, we are recipients of God’s grace and our circle’s grace, and my mama’s name reminds me of that fact.

Then neither do I condemn…