I'm Thankful for the Tiny Things

Even you, almost expired yogurt.

Super quick fun announcement: In the month of December, I’m doing a 12 day series called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and I’d love for you to join me! (and for you to invite a friend, if you feel so inclined.) Each post will be centered around a number’s appearance in the New Testament and I think it’s going to be a wonderful way to usher in the Christmas season. You can subscribe + share with the links below. 😊

Okay, onto today’s post!

On Thanksgiving, it is common practice to list what you are thankful for.

Maybe you go around your family table, maybe you share with friends, maybe you make it a journaling prompt for yourself or just something you list in your head while you’re sitting in traffic. Regardless of when, where, or with who, it’s a healthy practice to remind yourself what you’re thankful for, because so often we can get caught up in what we want rather than what we already have.

And while there are often so many big things we have to be thankful for—friends, family, health, a home, etc.—sometimes it’s important to list the small things too.

In fact, lately I’ve been trying to say “thank you” for the tiniest things in my day.

Thank you for not falling, I say to the glass that I accidentally set *so close* to the edge of the counter.

Thank you for not hitting that car, I say to my driver’s side door that swung open a little too wide.

Thank you for not ripping while I was at work, I say to the pair of pants with the splitting seam.

Thank you for not spilling, I say to the takeout cup whose lid was not tight.

Thank you for not breaking, I say to the ankle I landed on wrong but somehow feels fine.

Thank you for not expiring, I say to the yogurt I had in my refrigerator that I knew I was cutting it close on.

Most of the time, I’m talking to inanimate objects, things that have no impact on what happened or didn’t happen. But I’m also talking to God. I’m thanking Him for those tiny little blessings, for those things that, on certain days, might have felt like the last straw.

Thank you for having one left, we might say to the vitamin bottle, giving us time to buy more.

Thank you for staying on, we might say to the electricity we know is sparse in our neighborhood due to storms.

Thank you for being clean, we might say to our favorite sweatshirt we pull from the closet.

Thank you for that deep breath, we might say to our sinuses, finally clear after fighting a cold.

Thank you for today, we might say to God upon waking up, and for whatever wonder it might hold.