Thankfulness.

Yesterday was an errand and doctor visit day.  Ty missed naps, Emma missed play times, both were dragged around in much cooler weather than what I dressed them for to get things done.  I had a dr. apt that I was blessed enough to be able to take both of the kids with me (enter sarcasm) and we waited in the waiting room for one hour before being called back to wait for another 20 minutes.  Through all of that the kids were amazing.  God has so blessed me with kids that can just endure long errand running days - perhaps God knew what He was doing after all, moving us to the country and setting our life up to have days like that often and kids that could do it.  So on the way home Emma shares "My stomach hurts I think I might puke"  Awesome - I get into tense mode.  I start looking for something for her to throw up in, I have the air blaring, I am stressed... but like any good mom I am trying so hard to hide the stress and act like all is ok.  In one statement my entire grand morning was taken away.  Like that.  And then God whacked me on the head.
I recalled a recent blog that I had read by Ann Voskamp and she talked about Joyful Parenting.  One of the points was "Today, when stress mounts, I pray to dismount it with gratitude.  My stress management plan will be intervention with verbal thanks.  I can only feel one feeling at a time, and I choose to give thanks at all times.  Fight feeling with feeling!"
So I did - I was stressing because my daughter might be car sick.  Really I was stressing because I was possibly going to have to clean up puke later that day.  Really Jen.  So instead of stress I began thanking God for my healthy girl in the back seat.  The one who has not been sick in years.  For this precious daughter who is growing to know her creator.  Who calls me mom.  Who loves Jesus - at a 4 year old love level.  Who has been given on loan to me, to care for, to love, and to guide.  On the list could go...
Who said anything about stress - God designed us to be thankful, so thankful I shall be and let me tell you, it feels so much better to be thankful than to be stressed.
So throw up or not - I am thankful for that precious girl.