A Slow Return

We didn’t get much of a spring, it feels like. Or maybe I just missed it. But in recent times I have been trying to notice again, with lists of gratitude.

People say they feel different when they begin to notice. When those details become magnified, bringing joy and thanks. I love remembering the birds I have seen throughout the day, and adding them to the list. They are a gift. God knew our paths would cross.

I am not good at being grateful everyday. Sometimes writing the list is easy, and filling the page doesn’t take long. Other days I write a few points and they feel weak, like I haven’t realised their full potential. I suppose this is normal. I suppose seeing one good thing is better than believing there are none.

Like this blog, it is a way of focusing on the beauty in a day, in this life. Once you start, it is easier to go on. Sitting down to write is harder than continuing to write. Choosing to see one good thing is harder than thinking of more.

My blog has not been my priority lately, but in terms of filling notebooks, I am writing more. The warmer weather helps. I have also been decluttering and organising, creating space. Enjoying home. I went through all of my fabric during the week, and have a new project on the rise. I want to make something, and I want it to be pretty. This is a good way to spend my time.

Creativity and gratitude. Is it possible I want to create more because I am seeking more ways to thank God? Is it possible I feel like starting projects and making beautiful things because I am more aware of the beauty God gives me? Creativity brings contentment, contentment grows creativity. I may not always experience either of these things to the fullest, but they are always worth paying attention to.

The end of the year is creeping closer, and while I look forward to the close of another season, I want to be fully present in what today brings. In what God brings. Because He always has something for us and I want to find it, I want to find Him. That’s what the gratitude list is for, to see Him and to know Him.

Sarah xx