The Thankfulness Game

As the doors on the back of the ambulance shut, I noticed my body was slightly shaking. Taking a full breath was hard but focusing my mind was even more difficult.  While fighting the urge to cry or panic, I said to the EMT, who was busy assessing my injuries, "I need to play the Thankfulness Game. Is that ok? We take turns saying what we are thankful for." Without waiting for his answer, I told him about a new shirt I had purchased earlier in the day.

He did not respond. Clearly, he did not understand how this was supposed to work.

"Now, it's your turn. What are you thankful for?"
He paused and looked at me. "I'm thankful you are alive."
"Oh, yes, me too......
I'm also thankful for the sweater I'm wearing. I love it. This long open cardigan is more like a jacket. It looks great with a t-shirt and jeans or something more professional".   He did not seem to appreciate how much I liked that sweater.  "Can you help me slip this off so I don't get hospital germs on it?"

He paused again, then responded slowly, as if he was making sure I understood. "I am glad you are alive."

His assessment was correct. My mind was not processing the seriousness of the accident. A jeep went left of center and hit my car head on, leaving it irreparable.  I, however, was able to move my arms and legs AND talk incessantly to this poor man. There were so many important things to add to that thankfulness list.
Who knows why I was going on about a new shirt and my sweater?!  I'm not even into clothes or fashion.
Perhaps when we are dealing with trauma, our minds focus on things that do not really matter as a way to protect us. 

The EMT was very kind. He explained if a person is rushed into the ER with more than one major injury, the patient should be taken to the trauma unit where all of the clothes are cut off.  ... ALL of them .....
To this new revelation, I responded, "I'm pretty sure I only have one injury."
In my mind, I added that revelation to my thankfulness list.

Technically,  listing the things for which you are thankful is not really a game, but a way to focus your mind on your blessings.  When you focus your mind on your blessings, your life begins to change for the better.

The great prophet, Willie Nelson, 😉 is quoted for saying, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

Gratefulness is a gift.
It often has the ability to change our circumstances and even the people around us. It is a lifestyle choice.  Don't experts say it takes 21 days to start a new habit?   (Or is that to break a habit?) It may take some practice. But, using this gift multiple times a day will give you benefits you cannot predict or imagine, far beyond just saving a favorite sweater.

There are a zillion ways to begin using this gift and making it a daily habit. 
- You can start and end your day by making a thankfulness  list.
- You can write it down, say it out loud, pray it or just think through it in your mind.
- You can make it a game or pick one particular area of your life, then list all the things you appreciate about that subject.
For example, while healing from the car accident injuries, I would give thanks for every part of my body that came to my mind, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, paying particular attention to the parts causing me the most pain.  "I am very thankful for my ankle, neck, leg, arm, and sternum. I especially appreciate the protection my sternum has always given to my heart and lungs." Honestly, I had never given thanks for my sternum.

Our bodies are quite amazing!  I agree with the Psalmist who wrote, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it." (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

We will go through difficult times in our lives.  But the gift of gratitude can change how we walk through those times. 

Here is part of my list today: 
I am thankful for the ability to read and write,
for my family and friends and their beautiful encouraging hearts,
for my friends who are reading this (both old, new and even friends I have not met in person yet).
I'm thankful for the gift of gratefulness and the ways it changes my focus, attitude and circumstances.
And you, I'm thankful for you. I appreciate you reading what is on my mind.
Oh, wait!
And my sternum ..... I'm very thankful for my sternum.

I want to encourage you today, my friend, to try it out. For the next 21 days, try to make a list of 10 different things each day for which you are thankful.  

I promise, it is the beginning of a habit you will never regret starting.