::reality check::

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal

into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our

past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~Melody Beattie

In the name of gratitude and truthfulness I’ve decided to post a little piece of reality here once a week. Likely just a single picture. See my original post here.

In this house that Dan has dubbed ‘the house of breaking’ we have broken more dishes, pottery, china, and jars in ten days than we have in combined years previously.

Mason jars cracked on ceramic tile, a lamp from a dresser, an entire shelf of pottery I was unpacking, and the list goes on.

I cried over the pottery (including two mugs my in-laws had sweetly brought to replace those last ones) but got over it.

But now I’m breaking a little in body. Shingles have kindly paid a return visit. I thought that burning on my cheek seemed familiar but didn’t think it was possible. I was wrong.

And this morning I broke into tears as I felt the scaly slap mark on my face. Tears of frustration, pain, and disappointment. All those things I had to get done moved promptly to the back burner.

This day I am so thankful for grace. For reminders of faithful love and new mercies. For a quiet afternoon with the little lady as Dan, overworked father that he is, snuck children away. For the little boy that took a nap in my arms while I drank in his sweetness. For a friend bringing dinner. For siblings helping siblings and offering words of healing to a tired mama. For the dear ones, family and friends, speaking prayers, support, and love. For a drop to my knees that reminded me who I am and what I believe. For faith, for love, for God I trust. For healing swift and sure.

And for that chipped mug to remember it all by.

No word of a lie: I typed that last sentence and one of our sweet vintage glasses smashed on the floor out of the hands of a well-intentioned child. Goodness gracious. 

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If you’d like to join in with a reality check of your own, please add a link or note in the comments!