stepping sluggishly with my cup of coffee into this "Africa" heat
countless blueberries picked, washed, sorted, frozen (I want to be one of those blueberries)
thousands of frozen tokens of my family's blue-stained hands, while I stayed home with the baby, wanting to be staining my hands too
thousands of frozen tokens
gifts
When giving a gift to someone, time and care is taken in picking
Picking out the very best gift you can, that best suits that person, then you wrap it carefully, attach your best sentiment, and make sure they get it in time.
I have been known to forget birthdays (could it be "milk brain"??), but when I do purchase a gift for someone, I take the time, make it beautiful, and usually go over the budget for that gift... especially for my husband!
When receiving a gift, you never see anyone (or at least I hope not) say 'thanks' and shove it aside. Even if they don't like the gift they just received from your care in picking it out, they look at it, sometimes ask questions, and hold it up in all directions. If they do like it, or get what they asked for, jubilation occurs with almost laughing smiles, a huge hug and many many words of "thanks"... sometimes tears... with the care you put into the gift... Thanking the gift giver takes time... Picking out just the right thank you card or special stationary... using your best pen and penmanship... and saying just the right words in order to truly let that gift giver know how much you appreciate them giving you that gift.
Either way, we stop. Take time. Give thanks.
Every single thing in this life we are living is a gift... sometimes we don't like the gifts we are given... other times are we are so gay (joyful)... but either way, we stop, take time, give thanks.
Offering up myself daily to God is a sure way of telling Him thank you and here is my "all", but stopping to give Him thanks, even when I don't like what He is giving me, is slowing down time... literally... I am able to stop. Take time.
Give thanks.
How am I able to see the thanks amongst the weeds to pull in the potager, the horse manure, the hot humidity with no air conditioning, these six children, my husband's back pain, these thousands of blueberries I need to go through... Taking time to stop. Take time. Give thanks.
Giving thanks = more time
~ something we all need... more time ~