“I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God”.
Psalms 9, 1-2.
A full heart…in my current season of life I read this as a busy heart. A heart that gives to career and family. A heart that tries to make time for friends, often unsuccessfully. A heart that overlooks laundry mountains and thrown together dinners around the kitchen island. A heart that can beat with joy one minute and panic the next. A heart that wants to slow life down before kids are grown and parents have passed. A heart with good intentions. A busy heart is a full heart.
In my nearly, ahem, 40 years of life I have learned a secret to slow life down. It’s not a fountain of youth or bogus crème for your crow’s feet. It’s a camera. And by camera, I mean phone. Someday maybe I’ll venture into a big girl camera, but for now I love having the power to freeze time in my back pocket. It’s a need. It’s a power. It’s a gift. An act of gratitude.
The idea that you can capture gratitude with a click calms my heart. It’s a pause button for life. The coolest remote control ever. A way for me to show Jesus I’m listening. Please tell me Jesus can follow my Instagram feed from heaven, right?
“Hey Jesus, it’s me again. Seriously, oceans? Mind-blowing. Thank you for allowing me to introduce my kids to it for the first time. Their reaction was priceless. My parents missed this moment with me after the divorce. But remember how I saw the ocean for the first time with you and my youth group? The ocean helped my 14-year-old brain see a bigger picture. Thanks for that.”
“Hey Jesus, it’s me again. I used to tell my husband when I get to heaven I would stroll through sunflowers as far as one could see. Like in the Gladiator movie, but way happier. Look what I found! I guess heaven really is on Earth. Good call. “
“Hey, Jesus, it’s me again. You know what I like most about tea? That it needs to steep before it’s good. I need to steep more. “
“Hey Jesus, it’s me again. How do you know when to keep holding on and when to let go? I think I get the two confused sometimes. Ok, lots of times.“
In this season of Thanksgiving, go about your day looking to pause moments of gratitude. The more you see…the more you will see.
Capture your gratitude. Then share it using #hccksgratitude.
With a full heart,
Shelisa Welde
