I Love to Talk!

Saturday night as I was getting out of the car my throat suddenly felt like I had swallowed a sword.  I could barely talk and swallowing even water was almost impossible.  I was freaked out because, if you know me, I love to talk.  Talking is my thing!  I'm an occasional preacher, and spend about eight hours a day on the phone at my other job.  While I'm certain my wife appreciated the peace, I missed talking up my usual storm.  This got me thinking of how I take little things, like the ability to speak, for granted.  I just assume they will always be there.  I began to wonder what else I would hate to do without.  I know it would be awful if I were no longer able to see my wife's beautiful smile.  And cooking/eating would be a major bore if not for the senses of smell and taste.  I have so much for which to be thankful.  Even my (paying) job is a huge blessing.  I get to meet people from every walk of life.  The company is flexible with time off so that I can do things such as speaking at camp.  And I get paid.  It's easy to focus on the negative, but so much better to be grateful for that which we have.

I have been reading Psalms in my morning quiet times  

Here's a really cool one of thanks:

Psalm 138

The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

138 1-3 Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!”

    Angels listen as I sing my thanks.

I kneel in worship facing your holy temple

    and say it again: “Thank you!”

Thank you for your love,

    thank you for your faithfulness;

Most holy is your name,

    most holy is your Word.

The moment I called out, you stepped in;

    you made my life large with strength.

4-6 When they hear what you have to say, God,

    all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”

They’ll sing of what you’ve done:

    “How great the glory of God!”

And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below;

    no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

7-8 When I walk into the thick of trouble,

    keep me alive in the angry turmoil.

With one hand

    strike my foes,

With your other hand

    save me.

Finish what you started in me, God.

    Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

Giving thanks is an excellent way of telling God how much we appreciate all he has done.  And it helps us to focus on the positive.

I would love to read what "little things" for which you are thankful that you normally take for granted.  

You Just Never Know

Oh my goodness, I don't know what happened, but it seems like I blinked and 2 weeks came and went.  I actually had the subject for this entry in my head a week ago but lost track of time.  So anyway, A.D.H.D. aside, here we go.

A few weeks ago my wife and I were shopping at our local Farm and Fleet store.  We brought our items (including a bag of Maple Bacon Kettle Chips) to the register.  I got the feeling that the cashier was rather lethargic and it annoyed me a bit.  But I didn't say anything.  As he handed me my receipt I couldn't help but notice how he was doing everything with his left hand and moving rather slowly.  I thought about the work ethic my dad instilled in me that said to never lean or appear lazy on the job and I began getting frustrated.  But my dad also taught me to be polite, so I didn't say anything.  And as he handed the bag to me with that same hand I suddenly noticed something... He was missing his right hand.  Oh my goodness did I feel like a jerk!  Granted I hadn't said anything or treated him poorly, but I had been thinking about it.

A day or so later my sister, Rosa (not her given name but that's what I call her) posted something on Facebook.  It said something about how we don't know the situation of others.  It went on to say that the person with whom we are getting angry might have just lost a loved one or may not be able to afford to eat today.  I immediately thought back to the guy at Farm and Fleet.  What an excellent illustration of the Facebook post.  The cashier's situation was fairly clear.  But not everyone's story is quite so evident.

In the time since, I have been trying to remember this: We don't know what is going on in the lives of others, so I need to cut them some slack.  I've gone through some tough times myself.  Thankfully I have family and friends that have given me the needed grace and love.

Once I understood the reason for what I had perceived as laziness, I made eye contact, smiled and said "Thank you."  This should be my response no matter what.  I'm not to judge who is "worthy" of grace and love.  I'm to disperse them unconditionally.  Maybe if I do that, people will get a better understanding of the love of God.  Who knows, can't hurt!

In the words of Wayne Campbell in Wayne's World, "Be excellent to each other."

Thoughts?  Have you had similar occurrences?  I'd love to read about them.
God bless y'all!