"I thank You, Jesus"

The epiphany, "I take so much for granted," hit me like a sledgehammer, and landed with the unmistakable accuracy of an expert lumberjack.  Then, to mix a metaphor, the lightbulb stayed on after I'd smugly advised a friend to find her answer in the Book of Matthew 7:7-8. Poor thing, she only wondered why God hadn't answered her latest "humble cry."  Either her prayer carried no urgency or currency, she'd opined. 

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened," (NRSV).

Yet, I regretted the glibness of my response soon after I'd offered it, as a roster of requests and responses rolled out of my memory bank.  I couldn't remember whether their denouement happened immediately or whether a "wait time" had ensued.   Most significantly, had my friend and I used the same definition for "ask"?  Plus, not everyone keeps Matthew Henry's Commentary or New Bible Commentary around as light reading material.

In truth, I can't think of even one reason to own a tome of that bulk, short of serving as a Sunday school teacher or as a tool to use for study at a seminary.  After all,  neither is a "picture book," like the ones I used to read to Philip, my firstborn grandson.  (If you've been reading my blogs for a while, you might know that Philip died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) at 22 months, years ago.  He now boasts an address in Heaven).  I remember It's Not Easy Being a Bunny" as one of Philip's favorites. 

But I digress.  The older I get, the more I've acquired a tendency to forget where I'm headed, my destination, that is. I think I broke my all-time record this time. though!  Now, I wondered what unvarnished meaning I had attached to the verb, "ask." and, importantly, whether it matched my friend's definition?  "What if, what if, what if" questions proliferated like floating cottonwood in springtime. Speculations then accumulate in my spirit, aimlessly, more than anything.

No, counting blessings depends on awareness, acknowledgment, and acclaim.   What? I must become more aware of my spirit life.  I often use the example of what happened when I bought my first Lexus (I wish!).  For the next thirty days, at least three times a day, I saw the same make, model, and color  Lexus I'd just bought.  It took me a while to realize that all those cars had been driving the streets every day, just as I now was doing. 

No! I must acknowledge the Provider more than the provision.  Rather than strutting my pride about the purchase price of the transportation, I must demonstrate my gratitude to the One who provided it. I must praise and thank the Provider's generosity.  Gratitude becomes and remains my focus. "...see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing," Malachi 3:10b.

Finally, to be sure, yes, I must my blessings and stop taking them for granted.  Acclaim must become my go-to.  Until recently, I'm not sure I fully understood "praise" and "thanksgiving."  Now, I think I do. They fascinate because the "Return On Investment," or "ROI," reaps measurable dividends.  Worship is what praise and thanksgiving constitute.  The deacons in my childhood church simply testified, "When I think of His goodness and all He's done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah, thank You, God, for blessing me!" So, thank You, Jesus, for understanding when I take so much for granted.