Monday night was a late night because I started cooking late. I really hope to do better with dinner next school year, because this year was not my best. Exasperated from a long day and dinner preparation, I found myself complaining that the kitchen was always in need of cleaning. Then the Lord made me think of why the kitchen needed cleaning. We are blessed to eat at home, every night! This started the wheels of thought in motion.
You have a home to eat in, food to eat each night, and even dishwashing liquid or dishwasher packs to use in the dishwasher. Immediately, I repented for complaining. How could I be complaining about a blessing? We don’t have the budget to eat out each night, but we have food in the freezer, pantry, and refrigerator. We even have leftovers most nights. So, what is there to complain about? Absolutely nothing at all!
Sometimes, we become so complacent with God’s blessings that we allow ourselves to fall into ungratefulness. Putting gas in the car, going grocery shopping, and paying rent/mortgage are necessities many Americans don’t have the luxury to afford. I’m grateful that even with the changes we’ve dealt with in the last month, God has blessed us to stay afloat. I’m grateful that God has kept us healthy so that we can go to work. I’m grateful that He has kept us from car accidents to and from work. I’m grateful that we are in good health and can enjoy our time at work, school, and home.
As Paul Morton said, I’ve got so much to thank God for!” Truth be told, there’s too much for me to even name, but I’m thankful for it all! Of course, there’s a song for everything I experience. The song that came to mind as I stood in my kitchen was “I’m Blessed” by the late Rev. Clay Evans. In his introduction of the song, Rev. Evans spoke about the person complaining with a loaf of bread under their arm. How could we dare complain when even the little we have is more than what others have? I’ll never complain again. In that moment of prayer, I asked the Lord for wisdom. “Lord, help us to manage all that we have.” You see, even what we perceive as not enough or inadequate is more than others have and just what someone else may be praying for.
Sometimes we overspend when we should be saving. Sometimes we don’t set money aside and overexert our spending to make up for it. Sometimes, we eat out when we should be frugal and eat at home. Sometimes the money we’re looking for has already been frivolously spent. “Lord, help us to do better and appreciate every blessing with the godly wisdom and divinely guided stewardship.” Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow with it. As I appreciate every blessing, I won’t dare complain about anything the Lord has blessed me with ever again!