So we are running full steam ahead this week and I am whipping up bats and snakes (and now penguins! Pictures tomorrow…) at 100 miles an hour for my kiddos for their week of VBS and here it is Thankful on a Thursday and I need to take a deep breath…
“Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.” (Psalms 131:2)
…And remember that God is not fooled by the works of our hands, but judges men by the condition of their hearts. If I’m working from a spirit of pride, or a spirit craving affirmation, or a spirit of competition, rather than a spirit of love and service, then my accomplishments are hollow and meaningless. When we get busy and stressed, we need to do a heart-check and make sure we’re working from a right spirit.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
I’m thankful that my recent heart-checked came up just fine. We’re just in a busy season of life right now.
And things like this…
…Make it a little more stressful.
Boy, I’m thankful for having a brand new, full-sized spare tire on the truck!
I’m thankful for competent tow truck guys that can just fix things without a fuss.
And I’m thankful for AAA. I consider myself pretty competent and I’m convinced that I could have changed that tire myself–except for one thing…
…I would never have figured out to click the jack handle poles together, shove them in a little hole by the license plate (see that pole sticking out by the bumper?), and screw down my spare tire. I would still be laying under there right now trying to find a wing-nut to unscrew to get that spare down.
But all’s well that ends well.
I’m thankful for roadsides and ditch banks full of wildflowers to lift my spirits every day commuting back and forth, back and forth from the office.
“He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth…” (Psalm 104:13-14)
And I’m thankful for my little crew. All 3 of them. They challenge me and comfort me and worry my heart and sooth my soul all at once.
“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a might man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)
When I picked my boys up yesterday evening I was a hot mess in every sense of the phrase. I told them I’d had a rough day and that Hemi got a flat. Speedracer pressed his little face and hands to the glass door and wailed, “Oh no, Momma, Hemi’s boooken! What’r’we gonna do?!” and the Cowboy said “I had a rough day too, Momma, why don’t you hold my hand.”
How can you not smile?
