SHINING LIGHT

DAY 1: FREE

By: Gabriela Yareliz Gonzalez, Editor of Modern Witnesses

Hi friends!

Welcome to our seven days of gratitude.

Every day should be a day of gratitude– I know.

In these next seven days, I want us to be extra intentional about being grateful for the stuff we don’t usually list. Everyone has that cliché list they bust out. I am not saying it’s not stuff we are truly grateful for, but I want us to go deeper and think of even the stuff we take for granted.

Over the next couple of days, I will be sharing my lists (by theme) of some things I am grateful for that I don’t usually share around the dinner table. It won’t always be some deep profound spiritual thing, but again, I want us to go to what we often overlook. Gratitude, in and of itself, is a profound and spiritual thing.

I encourage you to make your own list with each day’s theme. If you feel so inclined, share with us in the comments or on our Instagram post. Even if you don’t make your own list, I hope some of these things, as simple as they may seem, remind you and me of just how blessed we really are.

xx

Day 1: Free

[meaning: things that are “free”, as in relatively easily accessible. I know taxes or previous purchases and other things play a role, but you get the idea. Remember, this is my list.]

[Image via @taryntoomey]

Mind

“A thinking person always has enough.” Lao Tsu

Our mind is powerful. In it can lie the difference between negativity and positivity, illness and healing.

It is often said that the mind’s limits are often set by us. There is so much a mind can do with divine blessing.

God has promised He gives wisdom liberally to those who ask for it.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

[Image via @nictrunfio]

Love

God. He is Love, embodied. Love transforms us. Love heals. Love endures. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13)

Love can only exist with freedom, and it exists apart from fear. (1 John 4:18)

Let’s be grateful for who God is, and those who embody this love toward us (family, spouses, pets, etc.).

[Image via @dempseycarroll]

Libraries/ Expression

I remember going to the library to use the computers, to use the internet, to turn in class assignments, etc. It amazes me, here in NYC, how little people utilize the library and how the library makes itself inaccessible to many (through its chosen hours of operation). Libraries were always a huge part of my life. Free books, music, movies— expression.

Thank God for the freedom and circulation of expression. This is the foundation of education and personal growth.

[Image via @boxofstyle]

Picnics

I am such a huge fan of picnics in the summer and autumn. Thank you, God, for the food you provide. Nothing like a basket filled with goodies and a good blanket. (More on blankets, below).

I am grateful that our time in nature helps heal our bodies, and it helps us learn more about God. I have felt how every care on my mind leaks out of my thoughts, when I am in nature, and I am left feeling refreshed and mesmerized.

And while it is impractical to picnic in the winter, here in NYC, wandering the farmers market is always a delight. (It’s as close to nature as we can get, without freezing our butts off at Central Park).

[Image via @mrbobbybones]

Great radio

Radio is free. Whether it is in your car, on a loudspeaker at a store, or on an app. It has withstood the test of time.

Radio shows are something I adore. It doesn’t have to be news. (I prefer it not to be news). In fact, my favorite shows include Delilah, The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show and The Bobby Bones Show.

A Blanket

While you can buy a blanket, most of us have blankets. They are either old (because they last) or gifted to us (or both). The power of a blanket is real. Whether you are reading on the couch, sleeping in a car, sleeping in a bed, freezing on a plane or sleeping on the streets. I am so grateful for a good blanket.

Laughter

This is free. Did you know in some ancient cultures, laughter was prescribed as medicinal treatment? The power of a good laugh leaves its mark on the body. Joy is contagious.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

MAKE YOUR OWN LIST

Time to make your own list! I am grateful for you, and for every inspiring woman who has shared her story here.

Gratitude is a way to witness.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s very personal list.