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I know I’ve been thankful for food in one of these posts in the past, but this one keeps coming back to me. Each time, I’ve told the Lord, “No, I can’t write about that because I’ve already done something similar.” Yet, every time I sit down to write a thanksgiving post, this idea comes to mind again. So, Lord, here it goes…
My son must be going through a growth spurt because lately all he can think about is food. As he’s eating his cereal for breakfast, he’ll ask “What’s for supper, Mommy?” He’s only four, but he can eat two pieces of toast (with peanut butter and jelly on both slices), a large banana, a glass of milk, and still look up at me and ask, “What else can I eat, Mommy?” One night, as I was tucking him in he asked, “What’s for snack tomorrow?” And on another night, he cried that he couldn’t go to sleep until he ate something else. So, one slice of cheese and two slices of salami later, he happily trotted off to bed.
Sometimes I get frustrated with his hunger. I think to myself, you can’t possibly be hungry again. This isn’t supposed to happen until you’re a teenager! But one day, I was pulling another wiener out of the package to satiate his voracious appetite, and the Lord brought a reality check. Thank goodness I have the food to give him.
In my mind flashed the images of helpless mothers and their starving infants from impoverished countries. And I was suddenly humbled as I thought of the indescribable agony those mothers must go through–watching their babies cry out in hunger and having nothing to give them.
Thank the Lord I do have the ability to fill up that growling tummy. And may God allow me opportunities to help the mothers who can’t.
- Want to find a way to help mothers and their babies living in poverty? Check out this Child Survival Program.
I’m thankful for God’s saving power, his work of redemption. And not just in my life (though especially so), but His saving power from the beginning of Creation to the end of the world.
It was the mighty saving power of the I Am that split the sea in two for the Israelites to cross when they were fleeing from their enemies; it was a small feat really, considering that it was He who split the waters of the whole universe to create dry land on the third day of Creation.
It was his mighty saving power that shook death’s grip from his crucified body, rolled away the stone, and brought life to you and me. But again, his power should come as no surprise. After all, it was He who blew into a handful of dust to make man.
But it is seeing this magnificent power, displayed in so many grand and awesome ways, working itself out softly and gently in a life that brings me to tears. The Mighty I Am who rumbled in Mount Sinai is the Christ, the Son of God, who beckoned little children to come to himself. When I see the mighty hand of God gently touching the soul of his depraved creatures, all I can do is fall to my knees and whisper, “Thank you.”
It is life’s greatest blessing, and yet we frequently take it for granted. In fact, it is often only through the experience of death or near-death that we learn to appreciate this great blessing–the blessing of life itself.
I’m thankful for life: for my life, for the lives of each of my children, and for the life of my husband. I’m thankful for the daily opportunity to enjoy it anew. I’m thankful for the gift of medicine and surgery and the wisdom God has given to men to preserve life.
I’m thankful for new life, for the wonder of seeing a child born into this world and the treasure of tenderly holding life–so warm, so small–in our own mortal hands. I’m thankful that God has not only allowed us to live life, but has created us to take pleasure in it and in Him, that with the gift of life also comes the gift of enjoying it.
The lady at the check-out who played peek-a-boo while I unloaded the groceries onto the conveyor belt, the Sunday School teacher my child can’t wait to see again, the neighbor who lets them ride his tractor, the babysitter, the elder man at the pharmacy who answered “hello” all twenty times my child said “hi”…
Sometimes its easier to be more relieved than truly appreciative of the sacrifices others make to help us out. I’m relieved for the distraction as I unload my cart, pay the cashier, and all but claw my way out of Walmart. I’m relieved the children will happily trot off to their classroom. I’m relieved that the kids will be out of the house for just a minute so that I can finish up the cleaning. I’m relieved the man at the pharmacy is patient.
But today, I’m going to take the time to be more than just relieved, though it is a relief. I’m thankful for the people who take the time to be involved in my children’s lives, who reward their friendliness, who teach them about God, who help them to see the joy and satisfaction of hard work, and yes–who give them a good time so that Mommy and Daddy can go on a date. I’m thankful for their investment, and it is an investment–of time, of energy, of creativity. I, of all people, do know that.
Dear Lord, thank you for the people that you place in our lives to help us with our children. Thank you for their investment and for their influence. Thank you for showing your love to me by providing me with the relief I sometimes need. And thank you that, though my husband and I are our children’s primary way of learning about You, we’re not alone on the journey.
Today, I’m giving thanks for all the quarrels and conflicts that my children have throughout a day.
I’m thankful for all the times I overhear their sinful scheming (even when I secretly wish that I hadn’t heard).
I’m thankful for God’s grace in their little lives, intervening and sending me to the rescue.
I’m thankful for all the opportunities those conflicts provide, to point out their sin and their need for God, to shepherd them step by step toward redemption.
Father, keep me from becoming irritated and short-sighted, from letting my own sin and selfishness get in the way of your redemptive plan for my children. Help me to be the parent you’ve called me to be, to be led by your spirit in each encounter, and to graciously reflect the loving chastisement of the heavenly Father I’ve been called to represent to my children. Thank you that, in your omniscience, you see the hearts of my children and are working to draw them to you.
We have so much to be thankful for, and yet, so many times I find myself lost in the muck and mire of life and losing sight of the blessings. For instance, it’s so easy to see all the fights and quarrels the kids have during the day rather than give thanks for the ways I clearly see God working in their little lives. It’s much easier to sigh at another mess to mop up rather than give thanks for the mess-makers, for the hard-wood floor that doesn’t stain, or even for the great cleaner I have that makes cleaning messes so much easier. And, I groan over the endless laundry much more than I give thanks that I’m not carting it down to a river and beating those stains out on a rock.
Thus, I’ve created this new category–for regularly posting the things I’m thankful for. And my hope is that my little reflections will cause you to give thanks, as well, to a God who is good and who chooses to reveal more of Himself in every blessing.
“The streets in Pachacamac [Peru] are covered with sand, and the dusty air causes respiratory infections in many children living there….With few opportunities for technical training, most adults work as street vendors for less than U.S.$3 a day. Most families can only afford bread and rice…” ( Tax Deductible Donations – Compassion – Charity Donations)
As I read this article to my children, my sons eyes grew large. I repeated the last line to him, “These children only have bread and rice to eat.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Well, their mommies and daddies only make $3 a day. That’s not very much, is it?”
He puckered his chin in genuine three-year-old sorrow. “No peanut butter and jelly?”
Oh, Lord our Provider, thank you for the blessings that even a child can recognize and appreciate. Thank you not just for food, but especially for peanut butter and jelly.
