Gratitude Moves Mountains

My husband has a native American name for me. He calls me "She who cannot leave well enough alone."

He usually calls me this term of endearment when I'm asking him to move something heavy from one end of the house to the other. Or when I decide to paint a door for the third time.

And he's right, but of course, he's also wrong. Because if it was truly well, I'd be happy to leave it alone. I prefer to call it "improvement."

Last week, I swapped the bed and dresser in our bedroom, and I cannot believe how that simple change could have such an impact. Now, we can view the sunrise every morning. I'm so grateful for that because honestly, my last house did not have the best natural light.

I've been concentrating on gratitude this month. And that's the funny thing about gratitude. When you make a conscious effort to think about it, you find so many things for which you are truly grateful. I've been offering up prayers of Thanksgiving every day. Thankful for house, inside and out. Thankful for health. Thankful for the wonderful autumn and all of its beauty. Thankful for family and friends.

And it seems the more I thank God, the more richly He blesses me every day.

Faithful in little, faithful in much.

And so this past Sunday, She Who Cannot Leave Well Enough Alone woke up with a great idea to visit a new church that morning. I knew in my heart that if it was "well", I wouldn't feel the need to visit elsewhere. Again, I prefer to call it improvement.

We drove to the church just fifteen minutes away (remember when we drove forty-five minutes to church in Pittsburgh?). The minute I stepped into the church, I knew. This was home. This was where God was calling me to be.

I looked at my son, Sam. Sam looked at me and said "Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!"

We were so blessed by that worship service in so many ways. The message, the music, the communion. There was a spirit of fellowship there that I haven't felt in a long time. And then, toward the end of the service, we sang my favorite hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

"Come thou fount of every blessing,
  Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
  Streams of mercy, never ceasing
  Call for songs of loudest praise."

That is what gratitude has done for me...tuned my heart to sing His grace. He has re-tuned the frequency of my heart, turning off the static and tuning in to the beautiful symphony of His grace. And in the process, He has moved mountains for me this month.

I can't wait to get back to the church this Sunday. And for that, I am so grateful.