Too Blessed?

Have you ever opened the refrigerator and immediately had a bunch of things racing eachother to tumble out...flinging liquid all along the way into places you can't imagine being reachable? Or what about finding that the house you spent the day cleaning for a party now somehow appears to be even filthier than before you cleaned it....and to top it off at least two things are now broken? Or have you ever been nagged by your child (or niece, nephew, younger sibling, cousin, etc.) to play with them while your trying to get something important done?

We are all faced with these kinds of frustrations. Stuff continually confronting us...compelling us...through guilt or obligation or whatever...demanding that we spend time and energy to accomplish whatever it is. I don't think too many people would argue that the number of frustrations each of us face on a daily basis can be down right crushing sometimes. We have all heard the expression, "No one ever said life was going to be easy." Often that seems like a cruel understatement.

Well...the other day I was having exactly one of those kind of days. From the moment I woke up, I was plowing through a ridiculously long list of things to do. No sooner did I get one done that something new got added to the list. Cook breakfast, clean up from the night before, fix the computer, walk the dog, prepare the meat for grilling later, get showered, get dressed for church....it went on and on. And yes, while all this was going on, the leaning tower of Tupperware in the refrigerator came tumbling down, my daughter was continually asking "is it time yet" for us to finish our game of Monopoly, and I was feeling more and more overwhelmed as the morning droned on. I just wanted to relax, but instead I grew more and more frustrated that I had all this stuff to do...and I kept getting interrupted. It was maddening. That is...until this series of thoughts pierced through my cluttered mind....

I am frustrated because my refrigerator is too full. I am frustrated because I have too many friends. I am frustrated because my child wants to spend too much time with me.

Suddenly, all these frustrations didn't sound so horrible. In fact, now I suddenly felt foolish. How misplaced were my priorities? How blind was I that I could not appreciate all the blessings staring me...or maybe slapping me...in the face?

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19b-20

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day business of life. That's probably why time seems to move so quickly...our focus is not on the experience of the moment, but on accomplishing the task at hand so we can move to the next one. Life tends to focus us on getting stuff done rather than fully living each moment. And as a consequence, we fail to appreciate all the reminders that God loves us....that He cares about us individually...that we are His children...and that He desires our good...each and every moment of our lives. All the evidence is right there in front of us. Blessings hidden in "to dos".

Thank you, Father, for your constant whispers of love. Thank you for surrounding me with reminders of just how much You love me. Thank you for all the blessing in my life...those I see and recognize...and maybe especially those I don't. And forgive me for all those I don't see...or choose not to see. Open my eyes, Father, to what is real all around me. Make apparent all Your gifts...all Your Love. And let me live today more joyfully than I did yesterday. Afterall, this is the day You have made. Let me rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)