My latest journey through the Bible has been in Exodus. I can get frustrated with the Israelites as they quickly forgot God’s deliverance and miracles and begin to complain and grumble. For you see, the entire nation had been released from the Egyptian Pharaoh. It took 10 plagues to convince Pharaoh but he finally relented and allowed the people to go. God’s children had also just crossed on dry ground through the Red Sea. Now they were discontented in the wilderness. It was not the promised land. There was nothing happening.
After a quick read of disgust, I realize that I behave in the same way. It seems that no matter how blessed I am, I am always looking for the next great thing. It isn’t because of a lack of gratitude, I developed a robust daily practice of gratitude years ago. This was my healing balm for anxiety. The practice begins each morning by thinking of 5 mundane things I am thankful for. The idea is that they should be different each day. My list looks something like this… hot bath, electricity, indoor plumbing, coffee and clean sheets. This practice turned into a daily rapport with God. What does your list look like?
Still, no matter how gracious God is to me, I continue to seek the next underserved reward. I find that I am a lot like the Israelites. I can’t see the promised land nor all the gifts along the way. Perhaps if I could see clearly, I would not be able to handle it. I am not prepared yet. Looking backwards on my past blessings is another practice I cherish. To this, I list milestones that I know could not have appeared but by the grace and favor of God. My list looks like this: my education, perfect partner for me, 2 healthy successful daughters, homeschool journey, building a home, restored relationships and starting a business. What does your list look like? My life and business tend to mirror each other. I am going to add a looking backwards exercise to the business also. For I know who and where the business successes come from. Perhaps desiring more out of life is a natural thing. God is able to give us more than we ever dreamed.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
