A Bug Bear

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you may have come across a post (or 2) with thankfulness in it. It seems to be a theme of my life and something I like to hear (and let's hope, do.)

I have a couple of precious teenaged girls who take 3 seconds to thank me after every lesson I teach. That's so nice.

I have a dear friend who says 'thanks so much' often for things I think mean little, but to her they have been a Godsend.

I have a husband generous with gratefulness and wow! that makes a huge difference in my day. To know that I am appreciated (and the things I do are too) by the one I love, is very sweet.

I have a little boy, who with a fair bit of coaxing, can say a 'ta' at the right time. It's cute...and he's going to get better at it...I hope.

So I do have many 'thanks-yous' going on in my life. But perhaps that's what makes the absence of a 'thanks' so obvious to me....and sadly, so annoying.  There have been a couple of situations in the past month or so when there has been a distinct absence of 'thanks' despite a big effort from me. And I don't like it. 

Yesterday I was about to launch into a diatribe to someone about the failings of others to say 'thanks' but I held my tongue. And as I thought about the situations over the past 16 hours, I realised I don't have to gossip about them....and I don't even have to let them get me worked up. I can just 'let it go.'*

And here's why.....because the One I follow and want to be like, faced this same situation - day after day after day..... And I am told that anything I go through that He experienced should be considered 'pure joy.'

Think about it....Jesus spent His life GIVING to others - giving time and effort and energy and emotional strength and healing and miracles and wisdom and and and..........and the ones He gave to, on the whole, never said thanks. In fact many that He gave to were the ones calling for Him to be crucified!

So I am thankful that being spit on or ignored or killed are not what I have experienced from the ones who neglect to say thanks.

And I am thankful that God is refining me in so many ways....including this one of gratitude.

But stay tuned....I have to more to say...thanks:)


* Hey...this is GREAT advice for all the struggles, dilemmas, annoyances I face!!!

Well Said

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.....

Hmmmm...sad to say that it has been a lean season for patience of late.

I think I am one of the most impatient people I know...hang around me long enough and you'll probably agree.

My latest battles with impatience have been over our house building epic (not quite to lock up yet) and dealing with a toddler who has authority issues (okay...so I am prone to exaggeration, but it does try my patience when Little j does not listen to Mummy.)

Anyway, I have moaned and groaned and whinged and whined and expressed my frustrations to God...to friends....to family...really to anyone who stopped still long enough to listen.

But is was a sweet, smart Godly lady who I have only spoken to a handful of times, who gave me the timely reminder in the middle of Best & Less the other day.

I was venting and saying how God obviously thinks I need more patience and she simply said, "Well anything that helps us become more like Jesus..."

She's right! That's the point, purpose, plan of my life. To become more like Jesus. And you know what, the easy-peasy seasons are not the ones where that happens. It is the seasons where we have to cling to God and rely on Him for wisdom and patience and peace and self-control and love and ......

And so in this season when patience seems to be a virtue I am sadly lacking, I need to remember that the One with bucket loads of it, is wanting to teach me, train me, change me and see me become more like His Son.

PR

Personal Responsibility....or the lack of it... is one of my bug bears.

I walk a 3km circuit around our block almost every day and I shake my head at the amount of dog poop on the footpath. It amazes me that someone would walk their dog in a public place, let it deposit its business on a very well-used walk way and leave it there. It's your dog, therefore, it's your poop people! Please pick it up!

Yes I can sure get on my high horse about PR....I do to the teenagers I teach...I do to my husband about all sorts of things...I do to just about anyone who will listen. "I don't understand some people," I moan and groan. "Why don't they just take care of what's their's to take care of?"

Well as logical as my thoughts and questions may be, I was challenged in this in the past couple of days. Instead of always looking to point the finger at someone else's failure to be personally responsible, I faced a situation where I totally let go of PR. In fact, I totally lost it...'it' being self-control...my brain....my cool....anything that looked like sense. I won't go into the details, but it did involve a kitchen utensil and a baked item.

It was not pretty and I am not proud of my display. In hindsight, I can certainly think of at least 3 good reasons for my 'unhinged' moment. Yes it's true, it's always so easy to cast blame elsewhere rather than take PR.

But in a lucid moment in the midst of my carry-on with the baked item and kitchen utensil, I distinctly remember thinking, "What I am doing is stupid...just get a grip woman!" But I didn't....why is that?

Anyway....my thoughts are still on this issue and despite seeking forgiveness of those involved - namely God, J and my sister - I am still embarrassed and more than a little disappointed in myself.

However, I have been prompted to see that my criticism of others shirking what I see as their PR may simply be smug self-righteousness. And instead of looking so long and hard at what others are doing, perhaps I should concentrate more on what is happening a whole lot closer to home?

The 4 Ws

In preparing for Biblical Studies classes in recent weeks, I have been garnering some inspiration from Max Lucado's book: Just Like Jesus. The unit I am teaching is called 'A Heart Like His' and it's all about looking at the life of Jesus and what the Bible says about Him and seeing how we can develop and live those attitudes and actions ourselves. I am enjoying it...hope the girls are too.

Anyway....in the 'God-intoxicated Heart' chapter, Max suggests we can practice living in God's presence by weaving the 4 Ws into your daily lives. I wonder if some of you do this already? If not, perhaps an outline of the W's may help you today to connect with Him and 'just like Jesus'....walk in His presence this day.

Max says we need to talk to God often throughout the day....not just in 'saying our prayers' as we drift off to sleep. A helpful reminder for doing that is found in the 4 Ws....


Give God your Waking thoughts.....as you open your eyes in the morning...pray! Greet God....tell Him how glad you are for the gift of today....tell Him about your plans....ask Him what His may be for you. I did this in a really concerted way today and I left bed with a smile. And that's really something for someone who is not a fan of mornings!

Give God your Waiting thoughts....Max says we need to be silent with God and allow Him to speak. He talks about waiting on God, rather than always rushing ahead with all we have to do and praying that God tags along with us. I also link Waiting thoughts in with the Whispering ones below.

Me in a period of 'waiting' when lots of 'whispering' was happening:)

Give God your Whispering thoughts...the quiet 1 or 2 sentence prayers I can pray anytime during my day, but especially when I am still and waiting, make up my Whispering thoughts.  This 'waiting' time is the time when I am in line...on hold...driving to a destination.... It's anytime I am not especially active...just waiting. It's probably a better use of my time to talk to God at that time, rather than spend time stewing on how annoying waiting can be and wishing the person in front of me didn't have quite so many groceries in their trolley.


Give God your Waning thoughts....as you settle into bed after your day, talk to God. Thank Him for all that was. Commit into His care and keeping those things that are concerning you. Pray for rest and peace. And then....sleep easy.

So....there you have it...the 4 Ws that might help you walk more closely with Him today. I am trying to be more conscious about being aware of God's presence and just maybe, remembering to give God my thoughts in those W moments will help.

What if....?

A story I heard this week got me thinking....
A friend was in a season of being challenged by God about his lack of thankfulness. One morning as he was brushing his teeth, he paused to thank God for healthy teeth...something he'd never done before. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, this thought popped into his mind: "What if I only had tomorrow, what I gave thanks for today?"

Whoa! That's worth thinking about isn't it? If this was the way life worked, what would you be waking up to today, based on words of thanks you expressed yesterday?

If you think the cupboards and the rest of life might be awfully bare, how about determining today to be much more grateful? How about asking for eyes to see and a heart and mouth to express gratitude to the One who blesses and the ones He uses to bless you?

Make saying 'thank-you' a HUGE part of your day, and I guarantee your spirit will be lighter and God will be well pleased....after all, His word tells us at least 33 times to 'give thanks.' In fact, you want to know God's will for your life? It's 3-fold, but includes giving thanks in all circumstances. See 1 Thess. 5:16-18

One thanks I have already expressed, even though it was a bit of a challenge, took place at 3.43AM this morning. This was the third time I was up to j last night (most unusual) and I could feel my frustration rising. But then I remembered the thanks theme I had been dwelling on and I simply said, "Thanks God for my little boy and that I am not buried under rubble, but I'm here to feed him and comfort him."

And those simple words made a huge difference to my emotional state and attitude. I wonder if your thanks today will do the same?