#7-Just to Make You Smile

I didn’t get a chance to write my gratitude challenge last night. As you’ve noticed, a few of my posts have been late. I acknowledged it facebookishly last night, so I’ll have last night’s post this morning, and Sunday’s post sometime later today.
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Yesterday was a crazy day at Starbucks. Customers can be mean and make you want to scream or strangle them. There were 3 people who came through my Drive-thru who made my night.

The first is a regular customer. Honestly, I was in an awful awful mood when she came through and as soon she smiled I smiled. I believe smiles are absolutely contagious. You just have to WANT to brighten that persons day.

The next person who came was Stephen with our friend Christian. And it means a lot that Stephen would come see me and make me smile (and… yknow get something from Starbucks). And it put enough smile on my face for the next person who made my night.

Someone came through and remembered me from Chick-fil-A. Normally I remember my regular customers. Some people I serve at Starbucks now that I served sweet tea to for 3+ years. Now they get Pumpkin Spice Lattes. This guy I have no recollection of, but he said he had 4 kids and came through a lot… didn’t help me. Maybe I’d remember his kids. But he told me he remembered me because my smile was so vibrant. It made me feel like the little things I do matter.

I’m incredibly thankful to people who remind me to smile. Like strangers from Chick-fil-A in Starbucks and Stephen. Sometimes I feel God sends me someone to make me smile… just because he likes to see us smile. And I’m grateful for that.

The application for this is simple. I get to give this gift away just by smiling. =)

To Cultivate a Graceful Attitude

Graceful Attitude–Gratitude. While everyone was doing their 30 days of Thankfulness last month I am starting this month. I am challenging myself to find a new thing I am thankful for as long as possible. I find that I must spend time reflecting on God in writing–it is my exhortation of praise. This year I want to focus on how God has blessed me.

I have one fundamental belief about God’s blessings: they were not meant for us, but to be shared. When we are blessed, we are meant to be God’s stewards of this gift. How will we cultivate this blessing? How will we share it? Use it? We were never meant to hoard our gifts in the ground such as in the parable Jesus told.

Today I start on the Sabbath. A break from working. So I am incredible thankful for the joys that Sundays bring. This particular Sunday I’m fairly convinced is the day that one year ago I met my love, Stephen. (He will argue that it was a month ago… But I’m more right.) Regardless of if this is the actual day, today is the day I will celebrate that.

I am ridiculously thankful that some impulse inside me whispered to God that I did want to know what it felt like to fall in love–and at first sight at that. He waited until I’d forgotten that prayer to playfully toss me head over heels in love with Stephen the day he introduced himself to me. Deny it I would, but not for long.

And over the course of the year I’ve learned many things about love. My love for Stephen, my love for God, my love for everyone else. I’m thankfulf for that. And I can’t wait to keep loving on people.

I am truly blessed in that, and I am also incredibly thankful to be needing to meet him at Crossroads in just a moment (though, per usual, we will both be late…).

And in the spirit of the Sabbath, of not working, of praising God. This is my rough draft praise that will not be edited (writing is joy, editing is work) and thus what you see is what you get.

With great love for my first love JESUS and my second love Stephen, and lots and lots of overflowing love for the rest of everyone else! I am so thankful for the life I’ve been given. And having been blessed with love, I must share it! And I’m off to praise my Lord!!!!