Saturday, 28 January 2012
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Thank You God For Carrot Cake: What's On Your Gratitude List?
By Naomi at Talking Christian
On Facebook a couple of times this week, my sister posted up what was at the top of her 'gratitude list' for that day. Things like her son's Lego toy not destroying the washing machine, and being able to spend time with her hubby. This got me thinking over the past week could I have written a daily gratitude list?
And all my mind can focus on is a thoughtless comment that was made to me earlier in the week.
How easy it is for me to stay in that place of hurt and bitterness and resentment and anger, and how difficult it is for me to recall the great things. Like, coming away from my guitar lesson with a plate of carrot cake, or spending all day with my best mates shopping for retro outfits for a party, or selling our clapped out banger of a car for the right amount we needed to pay for the new granny-mobile we just bought. All these things happened this week which were great!
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV) 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Whatever has happened this week to pee you off, don't retaliate. Do something good for someone else. Be happy, happy, happy! And keep praying. Continually give thanks to God, this is what He wants you to do.
Oh Paul, you make it sound so easy.
It's much more fun to get mad and have a rant, it's more interesting to listen to someone tell you who's annoyed them, than who gave them carrot cake, or so the enemy would have you believe.
In truth it drains you of energy. It tires the people around you who show compassion, but would probably rather you just shut up and offered them a piece of carrot cake. It propels the small lies you already believe about yourself into gigantic stories of fairytale proportion, and the Devil wins.
I am going to consciously pray to erase the negative memories of the week and obviously I'm going to go and have a piece of carrot cake.
What's on your 'gratitude list' for this week?
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Comments (15)
You're welcome.
I'm just glad the world is still here. No apocalypse... yet.
I'm grateful I'm still kicking ass.
I'm grateful for people like you who brighten up this world!
I'm grateful I got to spend time with my family today celebrating one of their birthday's.
I'm grateful for all of the people in my life and for the calming beauty of Mother Nature.
I really want carrot cake now.
Gee, it sure it funny that God is more than happy to help keep that lego from wrecking your sister's washing machine, helping you to receive carrot cake after a guitar lesson, AND helping you to buy retro outfits for a party (that you really don't need, by the way), but yet, he just can't find the time to help anyone who is truly in need.
God must just like middle class white americans better, I guess. Those children in Africa don't really need food, clean drinking water, doctors, or proper educations. Are they going to be forever punished because they weren't fortune enough to be born into a wealthy family? They did not choose their circumstance, but hey, since your God is omnipotent, can't he just fix the mess they're in?
The more I learn about Christianity, the more I realize you must be incredibly naive to the real world, or you must at least be really good at denying the truth to yourself and everyone else around you.
Keep praying, it's totally working.The biggest blessing so far this week besides the constant of my wonderful wife is that our church food pantry gave us a bunch, so we're not going to starve.
I've traveled the world, lived in hard places, and faced some tough living conditions. I'm grateful for so much that I grew up taking for granted. A washing machine, indoor plumbing, clean, hot water, a comfortable bed, socks, a supermarket nearby, good food, a job, a heater in my apartment, a healthy toddler who loves me, a good wife, a computer with internet access, free access to non-government-censored books, freedom to go to church, a clean, safe neighborhood, and on and on. There's too much on my gratitude list to name each one here. Thank you, Lord!
@MagicalMayhem@xanga - I understand feeling this way, I went through something similar. Just keep in mind if you do not want Christianity shoved down your throat, then do not shove your beliefs down theirs. In essence, if you want your views to be respected, then respects others' views. Keep an open mind.
@MagicalMayhem@xanga - there are Christians constantly repeating your message to the naive, honest. This American god isn't Jesus' message.
Still, I'll never tell someone to stop noticing and being grateful for what they have... only to not get too used to it and, if they claim to follow Jesus, to fucking give. It really IS nice when you get unexpected carrot cake, be it 'God's divine intervention' or not.
I'm, really glad I came across this Post..Oh, & I like Carrot cake as well..LOL So true in what you had to say..Couldn't agree with you more.
Im Grateful for Life in itself..For my Health & that I Believe in my Savior..
.@unflii@xanga - You have a very valid point there..
@Man@mancouch - Well Im not kicking ass, at least not in any ways physically, although it can be so tempting a times but I refrain..But I agree..Im glad the world is still here & to enjoy the Sun on my face, the smile & laugh of my Grandchild, to breathe the air etc..So much to be Thankful for..
Actually I've read that thinking daily about a few things you're happy about/grateful for can impact your overall sense of well-being. :] So everyone should do it more often!
@unflii@xanga - While I do respect your input, my questions still persist. I do try to keep an open mind, but I feel that so many Christians overlook certain aspects of the bible, or even more simple, they haven't actually read the bible. In the bible, we are told that we are sinners (and by default, that must mean that God is a sinner because we were created in his image, but I'll leave that for another discussion), but that it is also still possible for us to repent those sins, with the exception of a few: suicide, homosexuality, and of course, denying the holy spirit, which ironically, is the easiest to deny. What I'm getting at here is, what about people who were born in a different country where instead of Christianity being the dominant religion, Islam is. Let's say you were raised by Muslim parents, went to a school with Muslim teachings, and instead of Christian churches, your only option was a mosque. Naturally, you would be prone to believing that Allah was the one true god, your savior and refugee. Also, being a Muslim, you wouldn't blink an eye as you denied the holy spirit. This isn't because you are evil, it is simply because you were born into the Islam religion, just as YOU were probably born into Christianity. Should billions of people born into circumstances like the example I just gave still be forever tormented in hell because they essentially were born in the wrong place at the wrong time? I know you can say otherwise, but your holy book tells me that is exactly what will happen to them.
Also, just as all of you are passionate and completely certain that your God is the one true God, people of hundreds of other faiths have the exact same certainty, so maybe it is you who needs to open your mind.@MagicalMayhem@xanga - I agree completely with what you are saying. I was just suggesting that your comment was being a bit harsh to the Christian religion. As they are not the only religion to hold the idea that they are the one true faith, as you have pointed out.
Also I was born into Christianity, Catholicism to be precise, but that does not mean I hold the same viewpoints as those who chose to raise me as a Catholic. In fact, as a young child when I heard that other Christians would not be getting into heaven I was deeply upset. This led to me breaking away from Christianity because I feel people should be able to act as and worship as they please without fear of burning in eternity, as long as they are not harming others in the process.