Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Thankful Thursday - July 9


I'm going to borrow our hostess's (Spiritually Unequal Marriage) choice for Scripture tonight.

1 Timothy 6-8 A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. (MSG)

Sometimes I just don't feel grateful for what I've received. I don't always feel that having bread on the table and shoes on my feet is enough.

Yet....

I am blessed with so much more than just my "daily bread." Where is my thankful heart?

I told someone today that I have no talent. I wallow in self-pity as I watch others around me, especially those who harbor evil and do evil works, prosper. Yes, the evil appear to be blessed while I work so hard to do what is right. They are talented and earn large amounts of money for those talents.

But do they really prosper? And, more telling, is my "work" pleasing to God?

This week I have to stop my daily routine and listen to God speak. When I do, I'll hear Him say that He's blessed me with much talent and that He wants me to use that talent for His glory and for His name's sake.

I'm thankful for:

  • The time I have at home to teach my children. Homeschooling is a privilege, not a burden. I need to remind myself of that often.
  • Jonathon will leave for Mombasa, Kenya on the 29th of July....very soon! He is my 2nd born and is just a hair over 18 years old. It seems to me that he is so very young to entrust to others as they whisk him half-way around the world to minister to raggedy street boys whom only a handful of people want to love. Thanks to God who knows that an 18 year old boy can be used by Him to love the unlovable.
  • I'm thankful that we have insurance that will pay for the eye exams Ryan and Amanda will take tomorrow. If either one of them (and we're pretty sure Amanda will) need to get glasses, the insurance will pay most of them too.
  • I'm thankful that the air is getting warmer. I can handle 70 degrees but 50 in July was a bit much! Still, God controls the weather and He does what He wants. I need to accept that.
What makes you thankful?

12 comments:

eph2810 said...

Wow - Kenya - that is very far away. Very neat though that your son is going on that mission.

Yes, sometimes we don't see the blessings, but if we look a little closer - we are richly blessed indeed.

Thank you so much for sharing your grateful heart with us this week.

Be blessed today and always...

Karen said...

I, too, am thankful for the privilege and blessing of being able to homeschool. I love having my children at home and being able to teach them!

Hope you have a great Thursday!
Karen

LAURIE said...

Always something to be grateful for! Thanks for sharing your grateful heart with us today. -Laurie

Rocks said...

hi! you know what? sometimes i think like that also..and ask why do they prosper..but then God will gently remind me that I am rich in HIM!!

Thank you for sharing your heart :)

Grammy said...

Hi Rita, How amazing he get to go to Kenya. I know as a parent we worry but he will be fine. Too you will be blessed with heaven and you are a wonderful person with many talents.

Jerralea said...

Praise the Lord for your son's mission trip -- it's wonderful that he is willing to go.

Also, having insurance to pay is really a neat thing. It's really disheartening when you know it won't pay!

Anonymous said...

Homeschooling our precious children is such a huge blessing (and challenge, some days!). Mombasa is an interesting place. I am sure your son will do well there.

Blessings,
All His Benefits

Lauren said...

what a precious thankful heart you have! I am thankful for warmer weather too! :)

na said...

You are extremely talented in many ways. You are just too hard on yourself. Just keep writing (repeat this in song like in Nemo) and you will get published!

Blessings do come in many forms and you have wonderful children that are respectful and starting their lives off right. That is a huge blessing that most parents in this world do not have.

Have a great day!

Rita T. said...

I should say, in reference to Christy's comment, that I AM published in national magazines, on the web, and in anthologies. I just don't have that book of my own in print yet.
Rita

Denise said...

May God continue to bless you.

Anonymous said...

It is hard to be content with what we have when we are comparing ourselves to what others have. I keep telling myself this, over and over and over! And it is so true. This seems to be the ploy in advertising, "these people have stuff you don't have." If we compare ourselves to the people that have more, we are unsatisfied. If we can compare ourselves to the people that DON'T have as much, we feel more blessed and grateful.