5:45am: alarm goes off
6:01am: get in my car (no scraping of the windshield necessary!) and successfully get out of my parking spot surrounded by piles of snow from Sunday's blizzard
a few minutes into my drive to campus, the song "Good to be Alive" by Jason Gray comes on the radio.
Click here to hear it: Good to be Alive on youtube
6:30am: spin class starts. I'm back on the bike after last week's injury, and that song sticks with me!
8am: Holy Hour starts.. a whole hour to just be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and say thank you
9am: my day continues... on a super positive note.
So why was this schedule such a great start to a Tuesday? Well, for those of you who didn't click the link, there's a few parts of that song that really stuck with mes:
"Hold on, is this really the life I'm living? Cuz I don't feel like I deserve it ...
I want to live like there's no tomorrow, love like I'm on borrowed time, it's good to be alive...
all I want is to give you a life well-lived to say thank you..."
Now, I've heard this song before, but this time it stuck in my head. As I pedaled, I realized what a blessing it was to even be able to move my legs... something that a week ago, for those who read my post, was pretty painful due to pushing myself a little too hard at that first class. then I realized how incredible it was to be able to exercise, to breathe, to be alive... As I kept thinking about it, this overwhelming gratitude for my life just filled my heart... Thank you Jesus. The lyrics from the song keep popping into my head, what a blessing my life is, how undeserving I am, and how I desire to live this life well for Jesus.
Fast forward through the cool-down to morning holy hour. Once we finished morning prayer, I sat back and read a few Gospel accounts of men and women who expressed thankfulness when Jesus healed them. I spent a good part of the rest of my time in Adoration just filled with gratitude. For my physical existence, yes, but also for the fact that I am God's daughter... He has fought for me. I was so caught up in my own drama in high school, but He never stopped looking for me and drawing me to Himself. And now, I have a relationship with Jesus that I never could have dreamed of. On a daily basis, I get to share my love of Him with the students here at UMD. And I am so incredibly blessed.
In that above schedule, I didn't mention our team meeting. However, the theme of thankfulness continued there because Andy led us in prayer by meditating on the creation account and thinking about our own creation. It was so cool because it reaffirmed everything that had been in my heart all morning and even took it a step further. I could see God on the day I was born, huge smile, full of joy...saying: "finally.... now she gets to receive my love. she gets to live this incredible life I have had planned since the beginning of time... she gets to change the world if she just says yes." Words can't even describe that prayer experience!
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a great time to rid our lives of those things which keep us from Jesus and prepare to celebrate His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. I'm not going to share all my Lenten resolutions here, but I have decided that some of them are going to focus on keeping this spirit of thankfulness alive. So, I am giving up complaining. And adding in some time at the end of each day to thank God for that day. For those of you who see me throughout Lent, if I am complaining, here is permission to (lovingly) point that out! I know I'm not perfect.. and that resolution will be a work in progress.
Jason Gray's song is just an incredible reflection on what a blessing our lives are, how beautiful they become through being lived, and how fitting it is to thank God by living life well for Him. Have a great Lent everyone!
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