All is Ours Day

I’ve been fascinated lately by unusual days on the calendar. No, I don’t mean one day the temperatures call for a tall glass of iced tea while considering spring planting, and the next day we’re curling up with a cup of hot chocolate reading a good book. Those days are unusual but expected in March and early April.  I’m referring to the days and weeks given special recognition by organizations or individuals.

I’ve discovered National Librarians Day, Gardening Day, Picnic Day, and Pretzel Day.  I came across Organize Your Files Day and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. No Housework Day is probably popular, but Draw a Picture of a Bird Day was one I had never heard of. I wonder how many participate.

Observation of these days is serious business. It turns out there are recommended activities for every one of them. As I perused the list, several days caught my eye as fun to commemorate with grandchildren. Yummy Peach Cobbler Day is one of them, but one stood above the others.

National All Is Ours Day is observed on April 8th.

All is ours-really? Pandemic prohibiting travel, for some more month than money, virtual events instead of live performances, disturbing news reports, no visits to loved ones in nursing homes? How is all, ours? Let’s consider, as the day intends, what is ours and ways to remind ourselves of blessings and benefits.:

Gratitude:

Last week I shared my easy approach to sleep with my Grief Support group. Each night I rewind of my day and recall five elements of gratitude. Last night’s mental video clips  included lunch with a friend, the assorted colors of tulips blooming in my yard that my grandson helped plant, FaceTime with family, not getting soaked in the rain as I was caught without an umbrella, and an atmosphere of peace in one of my rooms because I decluttered and outdated papers were tossed into the trash. You might call it counting blessings instead of sheep. My friends know it as “my five things”.

“Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”—Psalm 103:2 NIV

Appreciation: 

I’m an early riser and the only sounds I hear while reading and sipping my hot coffee are birds chirping.  While they carry on their private conversations, I have the privilege of eavesdropping on a chorus singing in a foreign language. Last month at the beach, I snapped a photo of a clear blue sky, with not a visible cloud for miles.      I sent the untouched blue square  to my daughters and  commented it was not paper square paint sample. Take a look at my morning walks blogs for inspiration to find appreciation of life lessons and learning during simple walks.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 NIV

What We Had

During my clutter removal/office re-organization project, I came across old Bible study books on  a bookshelf. The discovery took me on a trip down memory lane. During that five-year period, several friends gathered one day a week for study and discussion. A mentor, foundational learning, and shared prayers and experiences were a precious life chapter. It was something I had that gave me what I have-deep rooted faith,love for God’s Word, and the privilege of sharing life with women who I still have contact though we now live hundreds of miles apart, It’s good to reflect on what we had to appreciate its influence on where and who we are now.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…”

Philippians 1:3 ESV

Resources

The best things in life come from the heart. Prayer, conversation, advice, time together, enrichment though knowledge, sending or receiving an encouraging text, invitation to a meal shared, a phone call…What can you add to the list–generous gifts without a dollar sign attached?

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thesalonians 5:11a NIV

Can “all be ours”?  In our ultimate quest for values clarification, an upward focus shows us the answer is “yes”. Not just an observation or practice on April 8, but each day, let’s look at spreading grace and love, sharing hospitality of heart, appreciation for the common, and live in gratitude. As we take hold of life that is truly life, the simple evolves into spectacular. It’s serious business.

What about you? How do you see “all is yours”?

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 NLT