One evening my husband said to me as he often does, “Thank you for a good day.”
That morning I had picked up the prescriptions he needed from the pharmacy. I worked on my sermon, then helped him organize some files for his Learning New Testament Greek video project. He felt up to driving to his lab appointment—the first time he drove himself to the lab since being in the hospital for six weeks last fall—but I still went with him to keep him company. We treated ourselves to a takeout lunch, a wrap for him and a salad for me. Then for supper we enjoyed the lasagna I had made in the crock pot.
So it was a good day—on the one hand very ordinary to anyone some on the outside looking in, but for me it seemed miraculous that even in the midst of the ongoing health challenges, we could do some good work, eat well, and be grateful for the day. And looking back, I think all of that was made even better because we stopped to notice these small joys and offer thanks to one another and to God.
I shared a version of this story as the opening for a sermon on gratitude last month, then included it in a guest post for Asian American Women on Leadership. For more, please see The Wisdom and Science of Gratitude.
Writing/Reflection Prompt: What makes a good day for you?
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For more on writing and other acts of faith,
April Yamasaki 
Hardy and I are facing some health challenges as well. Having been in relatively good health all our lives, these disruptions tend to tempt us to be discouraged and pessimistic in our outlook. Thanks for reminding us of the small things that make our day a good one!
You’re so welcome, Elfrieda, and I send my best to you and Hardy as you face the health challenges of this time. May the Lord lift your spirits, and may today be a good day for you both!
Every day is a gift. And so often we take that for granted. Thank you for the reminder .
Yes, Denise, every day is a gift. May the gift of this day bring a smile to your face 😊
May I share a short prayer I use daily? “I will allow gratitude for all the good gifts I am now enjoying to triumph over fear, regret, anger and disappointment”. It’s been a life changer for me. Thanks for sharing from your life.
Thank you so much for sharing your daily prayer. I love the way it both names some of life’s challenges, yet focuses on the triumph of gratitude. That would definitely be a life changer! Thank you.
Everyday has something in it that I can be thankful for. So often it is the small things that make me smile. The flowers on my deck, the gentle breeze that cools my face, a smile from my grand daughter or maybe the good soup that I made for the first time, that makes me thankful it turned out.
Thanks for reminding us to be thankful for the small things.
You’re welcome, Lora, and thank you for listing a few of the things that make you smile. They make me smile too!
I appreciated this comment received by email: “Continue to enjoy the “ordinary”, even though it’s not REALLY ordinary. It was a good day for you….as it should have been. But for most in this unequal world that “ordinary“ would be either impossible or uniquely special….what we call ordinary is anything but.” How true, I thought, so I wanted to share that comment here and also edited my original post, crossing out “anyone” on the outside looking in, and inserting “some.”
April, as I retreated to my corner to work, the feeling of being overwhelmed controlled my every thought. Your email entered my box, and I thought no time to read this now. Scrolling down the long email list my focus was not into the task at hand. I spent 5 hours in ER last night with my husband and several hours talking to our 17 year old grandson about his recent behavior (not the first time we have had the same conversation). My energy was low this morning. My body and mind was tired thinking about my husband’s recent illness, and our ongoing battle with his Parkinson’s that was controlling our life. I read your words from the article “Today was a good day.” I thought of my loving husband who had always supported me in whatever new venture I wanted to explore. I thought of his soft gentle hands, his quick mind and that little boy smile. I found my husband sleeping in his red chair and kissed him and thought today was a good day.
With gratitude,
Linda
Thank you for sharing this window on your world, Linda. The challenges in this season of your life sound overwhelming, yet the love you share with your husband is greater still. I pray you’ll have many more good days!
Thanks for your thoughtful words, April. I decided to check out your webpage when I was looking through the Psalm series you helped write for LEADER. I plan to use it in January. Prayers for you and Gary as you find your ways through these challenging days. We’ve all come through so many experiences since our AMBS days, but I am grateful to know God’s faithfulness to us.
Thank you for stopping by, Jayne. I’m glad you’ll be able to use the Psalm series that I worked on with Derek Suderman. And thank you for your prayers. Yes, these are challenging days, but filled with God’s grace and blessing.