As I
returned from my annual pilgrimage to the “Majestic’s Car Show” in Regina over
the weekend, Sara asked, “So, how was your day?”
“It was fun”,
I responded. “I had a good time with the
guys and there was a lot of cool stuff there, especially at the swap
meet.”
Then it
started. “I wish, though, that I could
have visited with this one drag racer guy. I had some questions for him, but he was too
busy to talk. And it would have been
better if this silly snow was gone, so I could have ridden the motorcycle up
there. Oh, speaking of motorcycles, when
we got to the motorcycle shop, it was closed.
That was sad! I got to see my
brother, my nephew and a couple of good buddies, but I didn’t really have a lot
of time to visit with them. And then….”
Why do we
do that? Why do we feel the need to
point out all the things that were “wrong” or the things that we did not
like? I hear it all the time. Whether talking about their jobs, their kids,
their church or something as simple as going to a car show, people often say
something like, “It was ok, but….”
What if we
got rid of the “but” part? What would it
be like if we could just take things as they are and be thankful for them? How would our perspective change if we did not
feel the need to point out every imperfection and flaw?
At the
start of his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul says, “I thank my God
every time I remember you” (1:3). He
goes on to say, “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I
have you in my heart… God can testify how I long for all of you with the
affection of Christ Jesus” (verses 6-8).
Notice that
there is nothing there but thanksgiving and positive stuff. He does not say, “I thank my God for you,
but....” Paul simply says, “I am
thankful”… period!
Does that
mean that these people were perfect? Of
course not! In fact, later in the
letter, Paul does straighten out a few of their problems, but those issues are not
his major focus. Instead, throughout the
letter, Paul’s thoughts center on what he appreciates about them and why he is
thankful for their presence in his life.
Maybe we should
learn to do that too.
Peace and
joy come when we can see our blessings without having to say “Yes, but….”
What is on
your “I am thankful… period!” list?
Comments