I have the day off to clean my house and prepare to host Christmas Eve.

Like many men I know, my husband, John, respects the talent of singer Josh Groban but does not enjoy listening to his music. But John went to the office, and Daisy and I have the house to ourselves until late this afternoon, so Josh’s pipes kept us company this morning while I baked ginger molasses cookies for friends and neighbors and Daisy barked at the squirrels in our front yard.

The song “Thankful” filled my ears when I first plugged my iPhone into the speakers in my kitchen and began to pull ingredients for the cookies. I’ve always liked the song, but this morning, for the first time, I really listened to the lyrics. As the notes filled my kitchen, I smiled as I realized that yes – in the face of the tragedies, both great and small, that strike my family, again and again, I sometimes fail to see the JOY that surrounds me still. The song reminded me that no matter how many times I pray for miracles, I must be willing to meet God halfway – to be the change I want to see; to never stop believing; to believe in the things that, on the worst of days, seem impossible and yet still live, deep inside our hearts.

I’m thankful for the many miracles, both great and small, that I have witnessed; the love of family and friends; the beautiful sunshine streaming through my windows; the gift of hope; the power to BELIEVE for another day.

“Thankful”

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can’t see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There’s so much sorrow
It’s way too late to say
I’ll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It’s so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we’re all connected
Each of us can find each other’s light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There’s so much to be thankful for