Sometimes your adoration is a spontaneous overflow of Joy, in response to radiant beauty or rich blessings. At other times your praise is more disciplined and measured – an act of your will.
Fill up the spare moments of your life with praise and thanksgiving.
Sarah YoungJesus Calling
Aren't spontaneous joys easy to come by? We watch the sun set over a calm lake and we are immediately filled with awe and wonder. Or we hold that brand new grandchild in our arms for the first time and our spirit is alive with praise and thanksgiving.
But more often praise and thanksgiving takes real effort. More frequent are the moments that spontaneously annoy us – those little situations that fill us with irritation, aggravation and frustration. Maneuvering in traffic, dealing with businesses – or my personal favorite, waiting in lines. At these times, the joys of life go unnoticed - and unacknowledged. What a loss for us!
I think it’s time I refill my cup and begin to exercise that flabby “praise and thanksgiving” muscle. I need to work harder at noticing and experiencing more of those spontaneously joyful moments in life and remember to offer true praise and thanksgiving for His abundant blessings.
This joyous discipline, as Sarah writes, will help me live in the intimacy of His presence.
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Struck a nerve there, Sandy, with "waiting in line"! Guess I need to exercise that praise and thanksgiving muscle also!
ReplyDeleteIt will be tough, Jane, to find blessings while "waiting" but I am really going to try. Maybe we'll have to share some experiences in order to encourage each other - sort of like a support group. (-:
ReplyDeleteJust to teach myself that it's ok to stand in line, I've let folks with just an item or two who are behind me, get ahead of me. Come to think of it, it probably drives other folks behind me mad. Oops, sorry!! At Costco I line my purchases up in my buggy with the code facing up so that the clerk can scan everything quickly - sure saves time and the clerks love it! It's a game I play to keep me from feeling frustrated but rather being joyful - and it WORKS - for me!!
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas, Karin. Keeping engaged and productive always makes a person feel good. It might be a good challenge for me to see what other ways I can be helpful while waiting in line.
ReplyDeleteGood reminder, Sandy! We went for a ride Saturday and took a road we hadn't been on before. It was wonderful to slow down and just "be" as we rode. We didn't talk much... just rode and admired the lovely day!
ReplyDeleteMay you have a wonderful day today!
A perfect Saturday in my book, Matty! Those were favorite times of mine and Jim's. Grab the Peanut M&M's and a big mug of coffee and hit the road. Thanks!
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