As I mentioned in a previous post, I am doing this Bible study called What's It Like Being Married to Me? One of the first things the author, Linda Dillow, talks about is whether you live with an attitude of gratitude of if whining is more your style.
I admit it - I "vent" way more often than I should. I do believe that complaining and whining can become a very bad habit, so one thing I have wanted to do this year is be intentional about being grateful. You just can't be grateful and complaining at the same time.
So, I decided to take the 21 day challenge. This is what that challenge is: you put a bracelet on your arm. Every time you complain, you move the bracelet to the other arm. The goal is to make it 21 straight days without moving the bracelet.
So far, two days in, I'm still on day one.
The thing is though, I KNOW God is very good to me. I have so many reasons to be thankful, and it's somewhat embarrassing that I ever complain at all. Ever.
Dillow shared this great verse - Psalms 92:1,2, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night."
What a wonderful idea - praise God for his lovingkindness in the morning and praise Him for His faithfulness every night. Can you imagine how that would change your mindset if you focused every morning and night on God's goodness to you? One of my goals this year is to live joyfully. Joy comes out of a grateful heart. It never blooms in a griping one.
God showed me some of His goodness through some very sweet and thoughtful ladies yesterday. I just started our Bible study video when I was told to shut it off. Then a silver package with a bow came sliding across the table.
I opened it and found a gift card to Ace Bookbinders. Being the dork that I am, I smiled and then asked what it was for exactly.
Wanna take a guess?
It was to have my Bible rebound. My Bible is currently being held together with duct tape, but I have so many notes written in the margins, I hated the thought of getting a new one.
The sweet ladies in my Sunday School class got together and, unbeknownst to me, gathered the funds to have my Bible completely redone.
I can't tell you what a wonderful, thoughtful gift this was - and they didn't even know it was my birthday this Saturday. Now, every time I open my Bible, I will think of their generosity.
It's not just the gift - it's the thought. There is no way I would have ever spent the money to do this myself. And it made me feel really good that they realized how important my Bible is to me. I guess that, more than anything, touched me so much. They saw me.
It made me wonder how many times I take the time to really see someone else. I will certainly be more intentional about doing so now. :)
God IS faithful. God IS full of lovingkindness. God use the ladies in my Sunday school class to reaffirm that to me this week.
Blessings, Bronte
No comments:
Post a Comment