Wrangler Dani

Last November, I did a blogging challenge in which I tried to blog about something specific I’m grateful for, every day. This year, I’m realizing that it’s going to be really hard to narrow it down to one thing every day, because life is really good and I am really grateful. (I’m still going to try, though!)

Just as a disclaimer, I do not have a perfect life. I still have acne and I hate my stomach and my favorite shirt is always the one that gets dried on high and shrunk forever, every time. (Isn’t that the worst?) I have celiac and diabetes. I am balancing work and home remodels and health concerns and adoption paperwork and sometimes I wonder if we went crazy somewhere along the way. I mean, honestly, in what world is it a good idea to conquer all of this at once?

I say all this because I feel like some friends and readers have assumed that my sunshiney outlook or attitude means that I’m not affected by the storms in my life, that somehow they’ve blown by and I’ve been blissfully unaware in Daniland, sipping a Mai Tai. Of course that’s not true. Life is tough and I cry over the toughness of it just like anybody else does. I worry and stamp my feet in frustration.

But – there’s always a but – that doesn’t last too long, because I know how very, very good God is. All I have to do is look back on my life, from meeting my very own Texan Prince Charming to moving to Bend to buying five acres to deciding to adopt – God has lead us through every storm and provided for every need. Every dream has not come true and there have been bumps along the way, but overall I can see God’s hand at work as we have said “yes“, over and over.

I read a book recently in which the author asked what we lean on in difficult times. For those of us who grew up in the church, we are blessed to lean on the hymns of our childhood – like the ABC’s, these are truths set to music – easy to remember and hum when basic concepts are all we can stomach.

This hymn has been going through my head lately:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

It’s set to a happy tune, so I’ve been absently humming it to myself as I go about my day and it gives me perspective. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, and in him I am so grateful. I’m excited to share the Gratitude Project with you and I hope that it might inspire you to start a gratitude revolution of your own. We all have challenges and cloudy days, but I think we’re called to be a grateful, solid-rock people.

Life is crazy, God is good. Let’s start a gratitude project together.