by Adam Bledsoe

How many of you all enjoy taking the trash down to the end of the driveway every week? That was my chore this morning. My quarter-mile uneven gravel driveway makes it nearly impossible to roll the can, so I either load it up in the bucket of my tractor or heave it up in the bed of my truck or utility vehicle. I moan and groan as I try to complete this mundane task. “Is this going to be the best day of my life?”

One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Green Mile.” John Coffey (like the drink but spelled differently) said, “You can’t hide what’s in your heart.” We could spend our days worried about everything going on around us, holding on to hatred for someone or worrying about things out of our control. This is stealing our joy, and you can’t hide that. 

Every Tuesday morning, as I take the trash to the end of the driveway, I drop off the kids to load on the bus. I snapped a photo (on Instagram @adambledsoe1978) of them this morning as they crossed the road to load on the bus. It is so important they hear from me as they cross the road. “I LOVE YOU!” More importantly, they must see I love them through my consistent loving actions. I yearn for them to see what is in my heart for them. I sure do love them.

Thanksgiving is upon us. We ask our children for what they are thankful. Do I contemplate this enough myself? Within the last 10 months, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from Harding University, turned 40 years old and started a pretty cool new job. Maybe you heard about it. As I reflect on the 40th year of my life, I noticed a strong sense of nostalgia. I recently purchased a 1995 Ford F-350 dually pickup truck (photos on Instagram). I ride around with the windows down and the wing windows popped open. I’m telling you it took me back to riding with my dad in his Ford pickup with the same kind of windows. Now I find myself looking for excuses to drive my kids around with the windows down and the winged windows open.

I am so thankful for the quarter-mile long driveway for which I have to haul my trash can. I’m thankful to have a trash can to hold the undesirable items from my beautiful home. I’m thankful for my warm home with the scent of pumpkin spice and everything nice. Most importantly, I am thankful for relationships with family, friends and co-workers who bring such delight. I am eternally thankful to God for providing a Savior who gave His life for me.

As we approach the holidays, look deep into your life and examine the amount of gratitude in your attitude (spoken so well by my Conway Human Development Center friend Roy Johnson). We live in the greatest nation on this planet. I feel like today is going to be the best day of my life. I love you!