"In every thing, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18
Good morning, dear friends,
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| Photo: nonobobo pixabay |
These last few days have been a much needed pause in what has turned out to be the craziest start to the school year yet. Our kids are enjoying a few days of fall break, and my husband and I are enjoying at least a temporary pause in our normally busy schedule of work, ministry, chauffering and homework duty.
Who says that vacation is only for the kids?
I think my brain just gets tired sometimes. My children will come to me with a seemingly simple request, and I will stare at them blankly. "What's for snack?" "Can we play outside?" "What's for lunch?" "Can we have...?" "What's for dinner?"
(Yes, most of their requests are about food, especially my 12-year-old-Timothy. Teenager-in-training.)
I think I am all requested-out. Even simple decisions require mental gymnastics on my part. Can't I just be the child for a moment, shrug my shoulders, and grunt, "Idunno?"
I'm so glad that God is not this way with His children.
It was on one of these occasions a few days ago, that I had to stop myself from lashing out at my kids. Am I not more than a source of food for them? Is it only when they need things, that they come and "pester" me? Don't they realize that I would love to have a conversation with them, that did not start with the famous, "Mommy can I...?"
And then, I realized that I was doing the same thing with God.
God cares about my burdens. He cares about meeting my needs. He cares about my desire for His help, His wisdom, His strength. He loves meeting all those things, but I think He desires so much more.
Just like I crave real, meaningful conversation with my kids, I think God longs for real, meaningful communication with His children.
How sad is my relationship with the Lord, when it becomes so very one-sided. My prayers were missing out on another key ingredient: thankfulness.
In meaningful conversation, there is exchange. One person talks, one person listens. Thinks. Feels. Then, there is exchange. The other person talks, and then listens, feels, and then responds. There is real frustration when only one party talks, asks, and then ignores the other person.
Thankfulness keeps me on the listening side. It balances out my requesting and talking with God. I talk to Him, and humbly ask for my needs. Then, I listen to Him in my Bible reading, in my daily living. I learn to watch for His goodness in my day. It is my way of listening to Him. Then, when the answers to prayer become plain to my eyes, I thank Him for meeting this request. Then, there is meaningful conversation with Him.
And then, I spend my day looking for things in which to be thankful. Thankfulness begets thankfulness. The more I see God at work in and through me, the more things I find in which I can be thankful. No wonder that God reminds me in I Thessalonians 5:18..." for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you..." I cannot choose my circumstances or how others treat me, but I can choose my attitude.
This is the work in progress in my life: that God will cultivate an attitude of thankfulness toward Him in my day-to-day living. How much stronger my faith in Him would be, if I would recognize His loving hand in every area of my life.
On that note, I know that Thanksgiving month is just around the corner. I have created a Bible memory schedule for the month of November, 30 verses about Thanks-living. If you do not have a memory plan for November, let me challenge you to memorize and meditate on God's goodness to us. (There is also room to add a fitness challenge in each square, if you are so inclined, and a day of fasting.)
Happy Thanks-living in advance!
I think my brain just gets tired sometimes. My children will come to me with a seemingly simple request, and I will stare at them blankly. "What's for snack?" "Can we play outside?" "What's for lunch?" "Can we have...?" "What's for dinner?"
(Yes, most of their requests are about food, especially my 12-year-old-Timothy. Teenager-in-training.)
I think I am all requested-out. Even simple decisions require mental gymnastics on my part. Can't I just be the child for a moment, shrug my shoulders, and grunt, "Idunno?"
I'm so glad that God is not this way with His children.
It was on one of these occasions a few days ago, that I had to stop myself from lashing out at my kids. Am I not more than a source of food for them? Is it only when they need things, that they come and "pester" me? Don't they realize that I would love to have a conversation with them, that did not start with the famous, "Mommy can I...?"
And then, I realized that I was doing the same thing with God.
God cares about my burdens. He cares about meeting my needs. He cares about my desire for His help, His wisdom, His strength. He loves meeting all those things, but I think He desires so much more.
Just like I crave real, meaningful conversation with my kids, I think God longs for real, meaningful communication with His children.
How sad is my relationship with the Lord, when it becomes so very one-sided. My prayers were missing out on another key ingredient: thankfulness.
In meaningful conversation, there is exchange. One person talks, one person listens. Thinks. Feels. Then, there is exchange. The other person talks, and then listens, feels, and then responds. There is real frustration when only one party talks, asks, and then ignores the other person.
Thankfulness keeps me on the listening side. It balances out my requesting and talking with God. I talk to Him, and humbly ask for my needs. Then, I listen to Him in my Bible reading, in my daily living. I learn to watch for His goodness in my day. It is my way of listening to Him. Then, when the answers to prayer become plain to my eyes, I thank Him for meeting this request. Then, there is meaningful conversation with Him.
And then, I spend my day looking for things in which to be thankful. Thankfulness begets thankfulness. The more I see God at work in and through me, the more things I find in which I can be thankful. No wonder that God reminds me in I Thessalonians 5:18..." for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you..." I cannot choose my circumstances or how others treat me, but I can choose my attitude.
This is the work in progress in my life: that God will cultivate an attitude of thankfulness toward Him in my day-to-day living. How much stronger my faith in Him would be, if I would recognize His loving hand in every area of my life.
On that note, I know that Thanksgiving month is just around the corner. I have created a Bible memory schedule for the month of November, 30 verses about Thanks-living. If you do not have a memory plan for November, let me challenge you to memorize and meditate on God's goodness to us. (There is also room to add a fitness challenge in each square, if you are so inclined, and a day of fasting.)
Happy Thanks-living in advance!
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