Thankful

This blog would have been so much easier to write yesterday. Before I'd had a terrible day at work, back when I left church feeling so uplifted. But why would it have been easier to write yesterday? Don't I have the same things to be thankful for today? The answer is yes. I have so much to be thankful for - maybe if I'd been focusing on those things, I wouldn't have had such an awful day today. Thank you God for helping me realize that tonight. But instead, my focus was on me and what I lack - something that's sure to put you in a bad mood any day. So, here's the blog I meant to write yesterday, but put off until tonight - just when I need to refocus the most.

Church yesterday was great. It was a sermon about money. And, yes, it really was great. It's like the pastor said, "Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on adultery? Adulterers. Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on stealing? Thieves. So, we're talking about money today, and I'm not afraid to offend you if you aren't honoring God with your money." (God, thank you for a pastor who's not afraid to make me uncomfortable, for it's in my comfort that I so often fail you.)

A few points from the sermon (which you can hear here):
- You must give your FIRST tenth. God gave his first born, His first fruit, for our sake. As such, we honor him by giving our first fruits.

- We are not saved by good works. We are saved FOR good works. Honoring the One who saved us should be our motive for doing good.

- As an added bonus, God loves to reward those who honor him.
- He rewards on His schedule, not ours. (In other words, we should be patient.)
- His rewards are for His glory, not ours. (So, don't hoard the gifts God gives you.)

At the end of the service, we sang a new song that spoke volumes in very simple words. It was the song that made the service so great. Jamie and I weren't offended by the sermon because we try our best to honor God with the gifts He gives us. Granted, sometimes we fail ...and fail miserably. We're not perfect, but we try. We try because it's been the only thing that has worked 100% of the time. We tithe, not because we have to, but because we're thankful that God has provided. Each month we pay our bills on time. In turn, we tithe because we're thankful. Then we pay our bills again, and we tithe because we're thankful. It's a simple cycle that has worked since we first got married, back when I was getting paid in peanuts and Jamie was still in school. Back then the cycle was a little different, we tithed in faith that God would provide each month, because we were not capable. Slowly, we learned that He is faithful and we began to trust without worrying so much. It was a slow process though, trust me.

The funny thing is that we'd still tithe even if God didn't provide - but it's never happened. We have had to readjust our priorities several times, when we chose to do things our way and make a mess of everything, but God has always been faithful.

It's wonderful to tithe and be able to afford the things we need. That in and of itself is worth getting excited about nowadays. But God is good. And He loves us. I know because he has given us so much more than just what we need. God has given me a husband that loves me and still opens the car door for me. Who wants me to be happy. God has given us the miracle of a baby that we can raise to love and honor God. God has given us a home to call our own, where we can raise our family in peace and safety. Our pantry is full of food. I'm thankful for all this. I'm thankful for having a car to drive and a job to go to. I realize that a bad day at work is better than a bad day unemployed. I'm thankful for our families, who support us and pray for us, who we can share our blessings with.

I am thankful for God's mercy and grace - that He'd even be interested in someone like me, much less love me unconditionally.

At the end of the service, we stood there singing and I was humbled. God has been so good to me, and I don't deserve any of it.

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, You made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here mourning, You gave me joy
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

How can I thank you?
There is just no way
How can I thank you?
Lord, how could I repay?
For your kindness
For your tenderness
For your constant presence here with me