The Thank You God Game

Sometimes life feels too busy or too crazy or just overwhelming. This is when it's time to play the "Thank You God Game." I invented this game one day when Justus was screaming at the top of his lungs in the van and the kids were cranky and I felt like I had a million and one things to do. Instead of joining in and screaming along with the kids, I said, "Let's play the Thank You God Game. What can we be thankful for even during this stressful time?"

I thought of Hannah, a young woman (homeschooling mama of 5 little ones) serving a life sentence in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Her story has deeply impacted my life and I pray for her daily and write to her often. (You can find her link in my sidebar). As much as my little one's crying was grating on my nerves as I was driving, I knew that Hannah would give anything to be with her baby and hear her cry. So, I said, "Thank You God that we can hear Justus cry. Thank You that we have a little baby in our family. Thank You that our hearing is good and we can hear him. Thank You that he can express to us when he is hungry. Thank You for giving Mama milk to take care of his needs as soon as we get home. Thank You for the blessing that tiny Justus is to our family. Thank You that we have the ability and the vehicle to be out running errands. Thank You that we just had food to eat and yummy hot cocoa to drink."

It is amazing how this little game can re-orient your focus and remind you that even if the current moment isn't fun, God is with you and has given you much to be thankful for. Try it with your kids today!