I’d been wanting to start a gratitude jar for months. Seriously. Months.
But I kept putting it off. That’s my personality – I get a great idea but I have such a hard time getting motivated enough to start it. Or I feel fearful that I would start the thing but then wouldn’t stick with it. Also a trait of my wonderful personality.
I had this dream that I could encourage our family to change their perspectives by writing down things they are thankful for. But I just never followed through on that dream.
But then.
One of Peter’s cousins came through Clarksville several months ago and stayed the night with us. And he mentioned that, because of the age of our children, our family is a prime candidate for a gratitude jar.
As I sat, slack-jawed, and listened to him describe what a gratitude jar is, I almost cried. I could feel the Holy Spirit nudging me, whispering, “Take note of this, dear one.”
So the very next day I pulled out a mason jar, filled it with colorful strips of paper and pens, and sat it in the center of our kitchen table.
And you wouldn’t believe what my people are writing. Some things are hilarious and others are quite profound. Here are just a few:
“I’m grateful for fake nails.”
“I’m grateful for Dad’s brain for geography.”
“I’m thankful for my grandparents.”
“I’m grateful for my family and for love.”
“That God created us.”
“I’m thankful God is a God who doesn’t show favorites.”
Whoa.
Each month, as we pull out the strips of paper and read what is written on them, we find ourselves giggling and oohing and aaaahing. Each kid will proudly say, “Oh, that was mine!” and I often find myself on the verge of tears, watching their excitement over both big and little things.
I’m not saying that our family is perfect. Because we’re not. In fact, we are far from it. To be honest, even right now, I’m not exactly feeling very thankful. Just today, I’ve argued with my husband and broken up fights between my kids as they spewed hateful things toward each other. It can be difficult, navigating this thing called parenting.
But every little step forward is still a move in the right direction. And I will call each tiny step a win.
So today, I want to encourage you to start your own Gratitude Jar, particularly in this season of fear and uncertainty. It’s easy to forget about the things God has blessed us with, but this is a fun and easy way to remember some of the things we are thankful for. Let me know if you start one of these jars and what you learn about yourself and your family!