Turning another year older last week made me think…knowing
when my parents welcomed me into the world, I wonder when God created
everything about me. As His creation, I think of how proud He must have been to
see me in the arms of my parents as an infant. I can’t help but think about the
disappointment He must feel when I mess up and make poor choices to let Him
down. What about the times I walked down a path without God?
Instead of living in shame, I have to live for today.
Most Mondays I sit at my desk and work on the next blog
post, but my birthday was different. I didn’t originally plan the day to be
unlike any ordinary Monday just because it was my birthday, but my daughter
approached me wanting to spend her day off from school with her great grand parents.
Although I planned a visit with them later in the week and knew I would not be
able to write, I could not deny her of this desire. When I called my
grandmother with the change of plans, she was elated at the thought of spending
the day with us so new plans were made.
Each time I visit my grand parents, my grandpa has a little
more life in him with a little more to say and more happy chuckles to go with
his smiles. This day was different. He was not happy despite our visit and he
did not speak with happy chuckles or smiles. Determined to have a good day and
get his smiles back, we decided to get him out the house to eat at one of his
favorite restaurants. Lunch with my mom, sister and kids was just what he
needed to lift his spirits and the food satisfied his appetite.
Because of my grandpa’s recent fall, they had not been to
eat in a while and the staff noticed the void from their hungry visits. When their routine waitress heard of his
fall, her expression and kind words showed the heartbreak she felt. “I’ll bring
food to you! Just stay well,” she repeated as she refilled his drink. When it was time to head back to the house,
my grandmother seemed to take longer than usual to pay her bill. I walked around
the corner to check on her and noticed she was surrounded by support and love
from several of the staff showing true friendship. The kindness seemed to keep
coming. As we packed up and began to make our way to the door, the owner came
from behind the scenes to pat my grandpa on the back and tell him how he was
missed.
I am thankful my grandparents are more than just two old
people who have frequented their restaurant tables for years. Had we let him
sit in the chair growing an impression from his body, he would have missed out
on his gifts for the day and remained a grumpy old man feeling no special love.
God’s love was ever present. He used everyday people to go
above and beyond their job description to display His love. Thankfully my heart
was focused to see His blessings.
Back home, my grandmother and son played as they always do
with laughs, excited tones and joyous movements. Purposefully creating moments
for my kids to have the opportunity to grow a relationship with their great
grand parents always results in a gift, but to see my grandpa leave his chair
to occupy the chair outside was indeed a priceless gift my heart will never
forget. With shaky hands, he placed each car carefully onto the ramp and
watched it race down with a car my son placed next to his. When both cars
crashed to the ground below, cheers and laughs filled the atmosphere each time
as if it was the first only to be repeated time and time again.
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| Just as I remember as a child...with bees and all to scare me away, but the beauty kept bringing me back. |
All of these gifts could have easily been missed if I told
my daughter no and stuck to the planned schedules. Each touch of grace would
have gone unnoticed or devalued had I not been focused on God. Learning the
true meaning of Godly living, I tried a new approach to focus my thoughts away
from things seeming normal to the world.
As a result, my eyes have been open to so many blessings once
overlooked.
I don’t want to be a disappointment to God. When I loose
focus on Him, I loose focus on what really matters. Desire to have what is out
of reach, gets me into trouble every time. So often I get bogged down wishing
for more time in my day to complete necessary chores, exercise, properly
prepare my son for kindergarten, write perfect words, help my daughter meet her
full potential, support my husband and love them all well. I wish I had more
clothes, better shoes, resources to finish decorating my house to complete each
room to match my vision and on and on. Although some of these are good to focus
on, others aren’t. I allow frustration, lack of patience, worldly desires and
perfection cloud true perspectives. Being thankful clears a cloudy heart and
rests with God’s love.
I want to make God proud and smile because He blesses me
well; therefore, I have to be mindful there is always someone watching me
because God is.
Lord, quiet our distractions to shift focus on today only -
to leave our shame in the past and be thankful for what we have today. Help us
to see what is not needed in our life and blocks our view of your majesty.
Guide us to turning our focus away from costly desires requiring hours of
planning and the need for perfection. Create in us the desire to love Jesus out
loud because we overflow with thankfulness. Thank you for the cross making this
all possible. It is in Jesus perfect name we pray. Amen.
“I knew you before you
formed in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and
appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” –Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NLT)
Thank you for making
me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.
–Psalm 139:14 (NLT)
For the Spirit of God
has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. –Job 33:4 (NLT)
We know how much God
loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live
in love live in God, and God lives in them. – 1 John 4:16 (NLT)
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