Dumpster Fire.

It’s a really fun, trendy phrase to use to describe 2020, right?

I used it in a poem I wrote a few months ago for a writing group. Seemed appropriate.

It’s been a very hard year for a lot of people – and not just for the obvious reasons of all things political and pandemical.

Last week one precious reader-friend sent me an email that brought me to tears, where she shared about her Mom’s cancer diagnosis.

Another friend has been dealing with the aftermath of a heartbreaking car accident.

I can’t even get into that one – suffice it to say my heart starts beating a bit faster when I think of her.

How do we start looking up when the world around us feels so… down?

Laugh if you want, but I have a new practice in my own heart I want to share with you today. 

I like to call it “Lowest Common Denominator Gratitude.”

{If you’re new around here… uh, yes, I’m a homeschool Mama.}

With LCD gratitude, I like to start out by thinking of the simplest thing I can that I can be grateful for – something big enough to still put a smile on my face – but easy enough for me to remember that I can keep coming back to it daily.

Since we had a kid in the hospital for quite a while in 2019 (and a pretty touch-and-go situation for a while there) my perspective of the challenges of 2020 has been framed in such a way that I’ve been pretty grateful to face this year – compared with last year, ya know, there has been no serious feeling that death was personally imminent.

So, my LCD Gratitude often starts with, “Today is a good day, because the six of us are still alive and no one is in the hospital.”

Your LCD Gratitude might gravitate toward your friend who just lost their job, so you might say, “Today is a good day, because I still have a job.”

“My dog is still here.”

“I have a roof over my head.” 

“I have someone to talk to on a daily basis.”

“I’m not worried about where my next meal is coming from.” 

The great thing about LCD gratitude is that it’s really easy to build on. You’re not aiming for depth or profundity. You’re not a second-century Theologian trying to pinpoint the essential gifts of Christianity, as expressed in an understanding of the Trinity.

You simply look at your life, a glass of water, a dishwasher, shoes, electricity, deodorant, or a pair of underwear and say, “Today is a good day. I have ______.”

“Today is a good day. I have deodorant.” {And your co-workers said, Amen.}

“Today is a good day. I have underwear.” {And your co-workers said, Amen.}

Will it build from there?

Probably so. You might start thinking about deep and serious things that you’re so profoundly grateful for, it brings you to tears. That’s good.

It’s also wonderful to laugh, to take to heart that “freely and lightly” thing we talked about last week.

But for now, how about joining me in just starting somewhere simple?

Take a moment to lean over today and tell someone “Today is a Good Day because of your underwear.” 

You don’t have to pick that one, but it would sure be funny.

I welcome you to bring LCD gratitude to your Thanksgiving tables this week, friends. 

Light and fun, deep and meaningful: there is space to be grateful for everything. Like Paul encouraged the Thessalonians – in all circumstances.

Today has a good reason to be a good day. And? I kinda hope maybe you’ll never see your underwear the same way again.

P.S. I mentioned last week that my friend Bethany’s Podcast When God Breaks Through launched. Now that I’ve had a chance to listen to more episodes, I want to recommend it EVEN MORE. Parents in the crowd, and anyone who wants some wise teaching, look for it on Apple Podcasts! (You can find it by clicking here!) 

P.P.S. If shopping is on your to-do list, but you’d like some fun ideas or some help getting organized, please check out my 2020 Holiday Gift Guide full of ideas to take care of your list. (click here to check it out!) Or click below to grab my Hassle-Free Holiday Guide and get organized with a plan for gifts, menus, stocking stuffers and more!!

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