.PNG){kind=logo}
She had had a great day. She had outdoor recess at school. One of her fellow first graders brought in an assortment of birthday treats, of which she chose a gooey, M&M-topped bar! Her little brother let her boss him around while they played “school” together. Pizza and salad for dinner, a family favorite. Great blood sugars all day long. And to top the evening off, a giggle-infused game of hide-n-seek with her favorite boys. She basically had a smile on her face the entire day, at least while she was home.
And then when I announced that it was time to head upstairs for bed, she surprised me when she angrily threw a small toy across the family room. Since that is not behavior we condone around here, I gave her a stern look. “Pick. it. up,” I commanded in a very controlled yet firm mommy voice. And that’s when she totally fell apart.
It started with, “This is the worst day ever!” And then as tears streamed down her cheeks, she rambled on and on, listing various horrible things that happened throughout the day…She rode the bus to school, but she didn’t want to ride the bus that day. She chose a cookie after dinner, but really wanted a starburst like her brother chose. She hates having diabetes. And she threw a toy on the floor and now she’s in trouble…!
It was all a bit dramatic. And it was obvious that letting her stay up a little past her normal bedtime was not the best choice for that day because clearly the girl was overtired! I had to hold back a smile, because that was THE fastest transformation from giggles to tears I had ever witnessed. But I held back and suggested she make a different kind of list.
“I don’t think it was your worst day ever. Sure, maybe there were some things you wish would have gone differently. But let’s talk about all the GOOD things that happened today.”
She was too distraught still, so I started by reminding her that she didn’t have any pump or sensor site changes. (She wiped her tears.) And that she got to have a super yummy treat at school that her brothers missed out on because they aren’t in first grade like she is. (A crooked smile emerged.) Then she told me about the worms they were learning about at school. And her new friend on the bus. And how good Caleb is getting at writing his letters because she’s such a good teacher for him. And she’s the best hider in our family. And how cute it was when Lucas was hiding under the blanket and couldn’t stop giggling, which made him a not-so-good hider. (A full blown smiler complete with sparkly eyes lunged forward and squeezed me.)
“Sorry I threw the toy, Mom.”
I hate to admit it, but my girl is JUST like her mother! My tendency is to complain, to list all the hard things, to become quickly overwhelmed when something doesn’t go how I think it should have gone. Oh, if there was ONE thing I could change about myself this would be it! I wish I was optimistic by nature. I wish I was really good at noticing the good, and appreciating the blessings right in front of me. Maybe it’s just the season I’m in…the season of mothering young children, getting no sleep, meeting everyone’s needs, kind of running just shy of empty all the time. Maybe I’ll grow out of it when the seasons change. But I’m not willing to wait til then.
That’s why I started The Joy Before Me Challenge. For me. For me to practice noticing blessings. For me to practice making lists of the good things in an effort to replace my lists of the hard things. I’ve been practicing this for a little while now and though I haven’t made the switch from pessimist to optimist, and while I still tend to get overwhelmed fairly easily, my heart is more tuned to give thanks when I should. When Lucas says something cute, when Caleb dances, when Justin surprises me, when Mackenna braves another painful poke, when the encouraging text comes at just the right time…those are blessings! Those are little gifts, from God, just for me. And I’m grateful!
In 2015, I was using a cute little notebook, writing things down as they happened or at the end of each day. I changed things up for the new year and wondered if this format would work well for anybody else.
.jpg)
It’s just a calendar, but I love that I can see daily, weekly, monthly all the blessings and gifts the Lord has graciously given to me! I’ve been just keeping it open like this on my desk for the whole month. Every time I glance at it, or walk by my desk and see it there, it is a reminder to me to keep practicing.
The first time I tried taking a great photograph, the result was not too pretty. But countless hours of practice later, even though I still have much to learn, I can confidently say that I can take some pretty great photos! It takes practice. So that’s what I’m doing. And guess what else…I’m heading out tomorrow while the bigs are at school to get a calendar for Mackenna. I wonder what could happen if she starts practicing this kind of list…lists of joys, big and small…lists of God’s goodness. What if she started practicing at age 7? How might that impact her in the days ahead…days of middle school and high school, college and young adulthood, future days of mothering her own young children?
.jpg)
If you’re still doing The Joy Before Me Challenge since I introduced it in May, would you let me know how it’s going? Have you seen a change in your mindset? In your heart? In your attitude? And if you’re thinking about joining me in the challenge, I cannot tell you how glad I am! I don’t think it’s ever too early or late to start! (Don’t believe me? Then read this post over here about fresh starts.) In fact, this far into 2016 you may even find a cute calendar to use with a clearance price tag on it! And that could be the first thing on your list! If you’re just reading about The Joy Before Me Challenge for the first time, you may want to check out these other blog posts: here, here and here.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
