There was a beautiful morning last week – the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the air was fresh and crisp and everything and everyone, even the birds, seemed to be out enjoying it after so many days of rain. So, early in the morning I went out too – I rugged up with my baby daughter in the front pack and headed out for a takeaway coffee and an amble around the neighbourhood.
It was awesome, in the way doing something very simple can sometimes be and I was struck by how many blest moments I have in my life. And I was also suddenly aware that if Elliot had a grumpy afternoon or I didn’t eat a good lunch I could, only hours later, be feeling sorry for myself and my lot! I realised – I’m an easy-come easy-go ‘God is good’ kind of girl. My life is full - full! – of blessings but I don’t always see them, and when I see them I am quick to forget them. It reminds me of Mark chapter 8 when Jesus, who performed lots of miracles and had just feed four thousand people, is told to prove himself by a sign from heaven. We read –
“When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.”
-Mark 8 v 11 - 13
I don’t want Jesus to sigh deeply at me. I see God’s presence in my life, his perfection and grace and love and goodness and joy in a million little ways if only I’d notice, appreciate and remember them. I want a life here without struggle or bad times but that is promised for the new earth, not this one. Yet I do have this promise – that God will never fail me, will never abandon me. I want to develop eyes to see God’s presence, not focus on when I feel he is absent. How about you?
I think its easy to forget to stop and look around to see what we have and what we have been blessed with. I know I'm guilty of that anyway! It's often when I'm forced to stop (e.g. zoe decides she'd like me to push her for ANOTHER 15 mins on the swing at the park) and I'm just 'thinking' its easier to tally up all the goodness and be thankful. Of course that is when the guilt comes in that I'm not as thankful everyday or every moment of everyday /sigh.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely when a sunny day, fresh air, a coffee and family time can just be so incredibly awesome. xx