THANKFUL JAR

THANKSGIVING

What a great holiday!  It could be my favorite, right after EASTER!!!

Everyone is giving thanks this week, at least I hope folks are contemplating their blessings.

Our tradition is to take turns telling everyone around the dinner table what we are particularly thankful for from the past year. The responses have ranged from "cranberry sauce" to "new babies" to "health," etc. ALL GOOD....EVERY ONE!

This year I introduced my THANKFUL JAR!

Last January I decided to keep a running record of significant events for 2014.  It's somewhat like a diary but way easier!!!

I took an old pickle jar, painted the top silver, added a silver knob and a chalkboard type label with the date, 2014.  I filled it with blank yellow slips of cardboard stock paper.

WA-LA!  A blessing jar was born! I put it on a shelf in the kitchen within easy reach.

Every time I experienced a happy event, I wrote about it on one of the yellow slips and stuffed it back into the jar.  The original intent was to read ALL the slips of paper on New Years Eve, 2014, starting over again Jan. 1 2015.

BUT...I couldn't wait.

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving Dinner at our house a few days before Turkey Day with  the Dallas Braners.  (the other 1/2 of the family is in Durango, CO frying a turkey!)

I presented my jar and asked everyone to take out a few yellow slips of paper and together we would review my year.  They agreed, although curious.

It was a little scary because I'd long forgotten what had transpired months ago that I may have written about.

BUT, it went very well.  I was able to recall some terrific, sometimes tender, always special days and happenings as we went around the table and they "read" to me, MY YEAR.   I was able to expound on some of the events without boring everyone to death! Those at the table were able to hear about the times THEY were involved in bringing a smile to my face. That was very heart-warming.

After our discussion, all the yellow slips went back into the jar. I'm going to add some more, no doubt, before Jan 31st.

Moral of the story:  I am blessed beyond words!  As Chris Christopherson used to sing,
"What have I ever done? To deserve even one...of the blessings I've known.

There IS no deserving!  It's pure GRACE.  And it's very humbling.