Woe is...

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 NLT

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1st Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20 NLT

Oh, Woes upon woes! Inflation! Gas prices, food shortages, supply chain problems a-plenty! And everywhere I look, I find Christians singing the blues - complaining about all of it - leading the charge loud and long!! And yet James 3"10 tells us, Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Have you thought about how every time you make a comment like "I just don't know what we're gonna do! The price of gas... the food...", it's like spitting at God. You're saying He's not trustworthy. That He's NOT Jehovah Jireh, your Provider, your Strength, your Shield. He's not the Father that owns the cattle on a thousand hills. 

BUT HE IS! Woe is an insult to God Almighty. 

Father, 

          According to Your Word in Colossians 4:2, let us devote ourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Help us to overcome the tendency to murmur and complain. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Always an Opportunity *

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:2-4 NLT

"Consider it an opportunity for great joy" was NOT the first thought in my head when earlier today, I spilled an entire bowl of steaming potato soup down the front of myself and down the right side of my desk (drawer side) and ultimately, all over the floor. As if that mess was not enough, it was compounded by the fact that I'm recovering from a full hip replacement and cannot kneel down, nor bend more than a 90° angle. I was both angry and frustrated. Yes, I could have called one of several people, but in the heat of the moment... no pun intended. It was the third challenge of the day and only midday.

It was about 10 minutes of trying to figure out how I was going to clean it up before this Scripture in James made its way into a conscious thought. My first response was, "Seriously?!? I'm having a hard time seeing this as an opportunity for great joy." But within seconds, I began to see and acknowledge that there were MANY opportunities for joy.

• This morning, it was a little chilly here (and being a Texas girl, I was not thankful for that initially), but because it was chilly, I was wearing sweatpants, so I was not burned by the soup. 
• All the desk drawers were closed and no soup got in my papers.
• It was thick potato soup and not Tex-Mex Potato Soup, so it didn't flow too far.
• Because it was thick, I was able to sweep a lot of it into a dust pan, discovering that I have developed some real skill in using the "Grip & Grab" tool to finagle the dust pan into the dry bucket, and being able to grip the paper towels, etc.
• I'm thankful for Swiffer© products that I had in stock to clean it well.
• I'm even thankful for the generic brand refills that didn't work before, but worked well today to actually dry the floor so I wouldn't slip and fall - even down to being thin enough to slide under the desk to remove any minute traces of spillage.
• And last, but certainly not least - There was more potato soup. (smiling!)

At first, all I could see was what was wrong and what I couldn't do, but in my mind's eye, I flashed back to my son asking me, "Does your eyebrow hurt?"

I know - in the big scheme of life and all that is going on in the world today, what's a spilled bowl of soup? For me, it was an opportunity to acknowledge God's hand of provision and protection in everything. An opportunity to give thanks in every situation. An opportunity for great joy - For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. And an opportunity for me to encourage you that there is ALWAYS an opportunity to give thanks in all things. 
(1st Thessalonians 5:18)

Prayer:

Father, 
         As You well know, oftentimes, it can be the little things in life that derail us. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us into all truth. Thank You for loving us so much. Help us to see only what YOU want us to see. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Try It

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
Isaiah 63:7 NLT

I don't know of anyone who has to "work at" grumbling. We don't have to remind ourselves to do it. We don't have to make ourselves write it down so we don't forget. Do you ever wonder why it is that mumbling and grumbling are easier for our human nature than an attitude of gratitude? 

It's an age-old dilemma. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Or is it as engineers would reason, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be... Instead of grumbling that you needed to buy all new tires, thank God you had the money to buy them. There was a time you wouldn't have been able to afford them...

Gratitude truly IS an attitude. It CAN be developed. It CAN be adjusted or changed. We just need to look at life through the filter of the Life Giver.  I've been thinking about that old song today that Bing Crosby sang, "Count Your Blessings." Technically, it's not a Christian praise song, but then if you acknowledge that everything good comes from the Father (James 1:17), then counting your blessings IS praise. When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings. When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

Try it...you'll like it...

Prayer:

Father,

          I will tell of Your unfailing love. I will praise You for all You have done. I will rejoice in Your great goodness to me, which You have granted according to Your mercy and love. And when given half a chance, I will tell others. Grant me the opportunity, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen