When You Think You're Finished, Give Thanks by Kim Jackson

“Americans are rushed, even in the bathroom,” Dr. Rhee explained. 

Because of frequent urinary track infections, I was referred to a urologist. He gave me several practical suggestions, including this unique one: “When you think you have finished what you came in the bathroom to do, don’t move until you’ve said the Pledge of Allegiance first.”


I laughed. But I started making it my practice because UTIs are not fun and urologists are expensive. And the good news is that I’ve been UTI-free for nearly a year. But the Pledge, as much as I appreciate it, got old after awhile, so I decided to mix it up. It takes less than 15 seconds to say the Pledge, so I came up with a few similarly timed options for my “Don’t be rushed in the bathroom” drill.

Thank God via Bible verses. For example: Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old (Psalm 139:14-16).

Quote a thanksgiving poem:

Thanksgiving 

by Ralph Waldo Emerson 

For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends. 

Sing a grateful song: My latest favorite is the chorus of Ten Thousand Reasons by Matt Redman 

Pray for a person with extreme physical challenges: This week I am praying for my new friend Lori. She is an amazing young mother with multiple medical issues. Lori, a vibrant Christian, receives nourishment via feeding tube.

Praise God for my healthy body: My mom had two colostomies and an illiostomy over the course of her lifetime, so I took note early on that gastro gratitude is good.

It’s often said that thanksgiving should not be confined to one day a year. Here’s to making sure it’s not confined to one location either. 

My heartfelt prayer is that your thanksgiving will go to the toilet…and the pantry, and the closet, and the garage, and….

Kim serves as a missionary/advocate for homeless elderly in Romania through Elder Orphan Care. She brags on God each week at her Wow Dee Wow! blog. Kim prays that her brief stories recounting God's amazing ways will inspire and challenge you to brag on God, too!

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