Love Note Day: It's The Little Things (Repost)

Today is Love Note Day. So with that in mind, this is a repost from October 23, 2012 - a reminder of the little ways God says, "I love you."

It's The Little Things

Consider this: when you are in a relationship, what means more to you? Is it the occasional grand gesture of outward love; or is it the many little things that person does for you? Is it the big dinner on your wedding anniversary, or the notes left in your lunch sack, the text messages or emails just to say "hi," or the simple act of picking up the kitchen?

When it comes to God, we often look to the Grand Gestures as proof of His love: The crucifixion of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, the blessings of our families.

Yet,  His sacrifice and forgiveness aren't the sum total of His relationship with us. In fact, those things were necessary to begin the relationship. I have found, as I grow in this relationship with my Creator and Savior, that He also shows me He loves me in countless small ways. Little blessings. I'm beginning to learn that growing in this relationship means recognizing those small blessings for what they are, and thanking Him for them.

Sometimes,  it's a good cup of coffee at just the right time (I often joke about this, but think about it: who made the coffee bean, the water; who gave me the ability to afford a coffee maker?). Or He shows me a sunrise when I need to be reminded of His glory. Sometimes, it's the laughter of my children when I need to remember just how blessed I really am. God knows what I need, and when I need it. He knows how to tell me He loves me when I most need to hear it.

All of this leaves me asking two questions of myself: am I thanking Him for all those little ways He says He loves me? And how am I telling Him in return?

Psalm 103: Praise the Lord, My Soul!

As I was trying to decide what to do today's devotion on, I ran across Psalm 103. I can add nothing, this morning, to the words of David. Let his words be our prayer this, and every, morning.

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

It's The Little Things

Consider this: when you are in a relationship, what means more to you? Is it the occasional grand gesture of outward love; or is it the many little things that person does for you? Is it the big dinner on your wedding anniversary, or the notes left in your lunch sack, the text messages or emails just to say "hi," or the simple act of picking up the kitchen?

When it comes to God, we often look to the Grand Gestures as proof of His love: The crucifixion of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, the blessings of our families.

Yet,  His sacrifice and forgiveness aren't the sum total of His relationship with us. In fact, those things were necessary to begin the relationship. I have found, as I grow in this relationship with my Creator and Savior, that He also shows me He loves me in countless small ways. Little blessings. I'm beginning to learn that growing in this relationship means recognizing those small blessings for what they are, and thanking Him for them.

Sometimes,  it's a good cup of coffee at just the right time (I often joke about this, but think about it: who made the coffee bean, the water; who gave me the ability to afford a coffee maker?). Or He shows me a sunrise when I need to be reminded of His glory. Sometimes, it's the laughter of my children when I need to remember just how blessed I really am. God knows what I need, and when I need it. He knows how to tell me He loves me when I most need to hear it.

All of this leaves me asking two questions of myself: am I thanking Him for all those little ways He says He loves me? And how am I telling Him in return?

"Sweet Merciful Heaven, It's Only Wednesday!" -- And Other First-World Problems

I didn't sleep well at all last night. Nothing in particular,  just for some reason, my body wanted its requisite seven hours, and my brain wouldn't get on board with the idea. I left my cell phone -- which doubles as my alarm clock -- at work last night, which meant I had to crawl my way out of bed to hit the snooze button on the actual alarm clock. Of course, the new cups for our single cup coffee maker haven't arrived in the mail just yet, so I had to wait until I got to work to brew and enjoy my first cup of coffee. Brushed my teeth before leaving and found a little "pink in the sink" as they say,  and thought, "Man, when I actually find a dentist, I'm gonna get yelled at about my flossing habits."

But, somewhere between tiptoeing through the room to avoid waking my wife and stumbling around to find where ever it was my kids put my shoes, I realized... I have it pretty darn good.

There are people on this planet who have never even experienced bad coffee -- let alone the sweet, smokey aroma of a well-crafted morning blend. There are people in this very country -- in my own neighborhood -- who would happily do anything for a job. I make a living doing what I love. I worry about gingivitis while there are people across the globe who have lost teeth and even lives because they simply don't have enough water for dental hygiene. I have a beautiful family that loves me, while some children will never know their fathers.

Yet how often, in my complaining, do I actually take stock of all the ways I've been blessed and tell God, "thank You?"

Remember Paul's final instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18: " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

And remember, too, that those circumstances the early church faced were not nearly so cushy as those faced by you and I on a day to day basis.  

And maybe, in learning how to be grateful for the things we've been given, we can remember also that the point of blessings is often to bless others with them. There is a hurting world out there, and we, after all, have a pretty good life.

A Case of the Mondays

It never failed. The reasons why remain a mystery,  but nearly every Monday at a former workplace brought with it some brand new issue either with our computers or some piece of equipment or another. A switch would suddenly and randomly stop switching what it was supposed to be switching, and would have to be rerouted. A button that, on Friday, simply did what it was designed to do, on Monday would do what it was supposed to do, but also cause a second computer, linked to the first by the most tenuous of connections, to react as though that same button had been pushed over there.

"What's going on?" my co-worker would ask.
"It's Monday," I would answer.

And nothing more needed to be said.

It's been said that Monday gets a bad rap, but I'll admit, it's not exactly undeserved. No matter how you enjoyed -- or failed to enjoy -- your weekend, it's tough to go back to work. And, apparently, the gremlins are working overtime to make sure Monday is as confusingly off-kilter as possible.

So,  I'm not going to pretend it's all in your head, or that Monday isn't as rough as you seem to think it is. I know better.

No, the real question, when it comes to Monday -- and all that comes with it -- is how are we going to react to it?

The Book of Acts (Chapter 16: 15-40) tells us of Paul and Silas, and their time in jail. If you think being beset by Monday Gremlins is bad, you've never been arrested in the ancient Roman Empire. The men were stripped and beaten, and tossed into a dirty prison where they... praised God.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (v.25)

You know the rest of the story, how they were freed by God, and how they made a disciple of their jailer. But notice how Scripture tells us about this act of faith. The nonchalance. There they were, praying and singing. The prison was nothing to them but a venue. Another place to pray and worship their Father and Savior. And the other prisoners listened.

I'm no fan of Mondays, but when it comes down to it, what is it to us, children of the King, but another day to praise Him?