Gratefulness

The other day Jared and I were walking home from the grocery store. We don't have a car here so we usually go to the store once or twice a week and just stock up on what we need for the week so we won't have to make too many trips. Easier said than done when you are hiking for 20+ minutes with a week's worth of groceries in your hands. Sometimes I have to pump myself up for grocery day because I really just dread the workout it entails. But most days...I just don't even think about it, I just do it. I have no choice...if I want to eat...I endure the hill...that's all there is to it. I am not a complainer. Complaining doesn't really accomplish anything. I'd rather figure out how to overcome challenges when I'm faced with them then belly ache about them. When it comes to grocery shopping...overcoming means sucking it up and just getting it over with. I won't lie though, there are days where I have to pump myself up because I don't always have a positive attitude about it. It's a matter of knowing what a certain convenience feels like and now having that convenience unavailable to you. You're in a sense, going in reverse. It takes some adjusting.

On our most recent shopping trip, we had run out of a lot of things I guess and had more than usual to carry home. At one point I told Jared to go on ahead but I had to stop so I could switch which arm I was carrying each bag because one was heavier than the other and I just needed a better grip. He turned to me and said "I feel like I've failed as a husband because I can't give you a car so you won't have to carry all these groceries." I laughed. I laughed because he has given so much and is so much to me already. I'm taken care of, I may not be spoiled, but I'm taken care of and he is the one who provides for me...for us. I love his big heart and the fact that he would do anything for me. And that is just one of the many reasons why I love him. It is also the reason I felt lucky lugging around bags of groceries with him that day. I'm happy without all the extras. Sure, they would be nice, they would certainly make life easier, but I have everything I need. I have a loving, compassionate, Godly husband, a safe place to live, food to eat, all the necessities. The rest is just bonus. And I certainly don't expect more than what I've already been given.

Some people search their whole lives to find a love like ours. I'm not saying that we have it all together or that we're praiseworthy or anything like that, but I just know how valuable our love is. It's priceless. We've never had a lot, but we've always had everything we need. God has always provided. I try to never lose focus of that. There's nothing wrong with wanting your situation to improve, but there is a difference between working towards improvement and wishful wanting. I think we have to learn contentment before we can experience genuine happiness. It could always be better and it could always be worse. We choose whether or not to be grateful in our circumstances.

Appreciate what you have, especially the people you have in your life. Because having your loved ones by your side is what really matters most. Hope you all have a blessed week!