Several years ago, I (Lori) read and loved the series of books by Jan Karon about the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina, and its colorful residents. Just when I’d think the storylines were too simplistic and resolved a little too neatly, a line like this one from one of the characters would stop me in my tracks:
“Everybody’s trying to swallow something that just won’t go down.”
So simple. So true. So profound.
We all have an unwelcome struggle, circumstance, or relationship that makes peace elusive and joy hard to find.
I was reminded of Karon’s line a few years ago when our dad had a stroke and temporarily lost the ability to swallow properly. His weak swallowing muscles made it dangerous for him to drink thin liquids like water or tea because rather than going where they’re supposed to go, they might end up in his lungs and asphyxiate him.
Enter Thick-It.
It's exactly what it sounds like: a powder that makes thin liquids thick, helping them stay on the right track in your system and providing much-needed protection from choking.
I bet you’re starting to wonder what this has to do with gratitude.
Here you go: I’d like to suggest that perhaps gratitude—to God and to others—may be the metaphorical “Thick-It” we need to help us swallow the hard things in our lives.
Stirring in some thankfulness can help us swallow a financial hardship, unexpected diagnosis, or any of a thousand minor daily irritations that threaten to choke joy with bitterness.
Here at Mollydoodle, we know our Grateful and Thankful t-shirts don’t have the power to actually produce genuine gratitude, but we hope they’ll serve as a timely reminder of all the good things in our lives and that even the hard things haven’t escaped the notice of the One to whom we give thanks.