October 15, 2011

Thanks For Nothing - Tracy Krauss

"Thanks for nothing!" Have you ever heard this phrase, perhaps coming from a surly teen, a disgruntled customer, or (heaven forbid) even from your own mouth? Thanksgiving is just one week past, and I couldn't help but continue to reflect on how blessed I am. We often make lists of things we're thankful for, but I thought instead I'd list the things that I am thankful are not in my life.

- I'm thankful that I have not, as yet, suffered from any major or life threatening illnesses. This extends to my immediate family. How blessed! When I think of all those that have had this as part of their life's story, I wonder at God's graciousness toward me.

- I'm thankful that divorce has not touched my marriage, or those of my siblings. Both my husband and I grew up in homes where our parents were divorced. Yet, we are still happily married after 29 years, and each of my siblings can say the same. What a blessing!

- I'm thankful that I do not have to get up each morning and go to a job that I hate. I love teaching, despite its many stressful moments, and I'm so grateful each day when I think of where I could be working ... Yikes! Similarly, imagine what it must be like for those who have no choice in the matter - children working in sweat shops, those enslaved in the sex trade, etc.

- I'm thankful that I do not live in a war torn country. How thankful I am that I do not wake up to bombs, machine gun fire, or other threats.

-  Although I sometimes yearn for the excitement of city life, most of the time I am also thankful for the absence of traffic and noise where I live. In this case, 'nothing' is truly MORE.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Sometimes we can be just as thankful for the lack of certain things as we are for things we possess. It's all a matter of perspective.

8 comments:

  1. Me too...
    A young friend says, "Imagine waking up this morning and all you had left were the things you were thankful for yesterday."
    That one really sticks me!

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  2. Great posting... and I loved the comment you shared from your young friend too, LC!

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  3. LC - that comment from your friend is so powerful. It really made me stop and think!

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  4. I am sure too, that although the future is unknown, we are thankful it is not uncertain!

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  5. Great perspective, Tracy. I do sometimes think "there, but for the grace of God go I." There's no other satisfactory human explanation for why God spares some people tragedy and allows others to experience it. That He alone knows what is best for us, including life's heartaches, will only be fully understood when we get to glory.

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  6. Hmmm, great thoughts, Tracy. I'm also thankful not to have dealt with major illness (I have a friend who is) or divorce (again, my parents are doing that...) or war. Too often I wish for things I could have... it's good to be thankful for the things I don't have as well as those I do have. :)

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  7. What a great idea, to be thankful for "nothing", which makes us shift to gratitude for what we already have (or "have not").

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