Lately, I’ve been thinking about my life from the perspective of what I’m glad for. Not what I’m ‘thankful’ for. That’s a different topic, for me. If I contemplate what I’m thankful for, all kinds of things come to mind. My family. My health. My life, ministry, home. Even my walk with God would fit into the category of what I’m thankful for.

But what I’m ‘glad’ of, or ‘glad for’ is a different thing for me. I guess you could say what I’m glad of often revolves around specific things that I decided early on that turned out to be things I was ultimately really glad for. If I went on-and-on about those kinds of things, the list would no doubt be too long for anyone to be interested in reading. So, I’ve decided on four things in this post. Other things may come along in later writings. But for now, here’s my list of things I’m glad of:

1. I’m glad I learned how to type when I was in high school. I think my life would have been a lot more trouble, as a writer, if I spent my time hunting and pecking instead of knowing how to put words on a page with a keyboard.

2. I’m glad I learned how to swim in a river. I know some adults who don’t know how to swim, and I think that’s sad. I would be sad if I had never learned how to swim, and I was really fortunate that I learned, not in a pool, but in a beautiful river. Makes me smile just thinking about it, actually.

3. I’m glad I like to read. If I hated reading books, I probably wouldn’t read as much as I do. And that reality would rob me of such an adventure: knowing what other people think by reading the words they record on a written page.

4. I’m glad I know how to iron a shirt. I don’t have to iron shirts, now, of course. So many of my shirts are ‘wrinkle-free.’ And the ones that need to be starched we send out to have laundered. (I insist on sending them out, so my wife won’t stand and iron them herself, which she does if I don’t watch her, carefully.) I could iron those shirts myself, of course, because I know how to iron a shirt. My momma taught me how to iron a shirt. That’s one of the things I’m glad about.

5. I’m also glad that even though I know how to iron a shirt, … I don’t have to iron my shirts. I’m very glad for that.

If you think of things your glad for as you read my list, and want to record some of them, feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to read your list. (See #3, above.)