Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Receiving Better Things
Lots of people have lots of bad Monday mornings. Not me!
Except for yesterday. Good grief.
I awoke grouchy because that silly Daniel Cat kept trying to push me off the bed all night and we all know what interrupted sleep will get you. And well, I must have kept him awake because in the morning he acted like a maniac with spring fever and looked like the poster boy for the definition of Wild Eyed. Up on all the furniture. Wouldn't eat his food unless we sat with him. Racing up the stairs. Then down. Grabbing my ankle. And it was too cold outside to open up the windows so to air out the house from various cat smells.
Oh, and my lips were blistered because of some kind of chemical reaction between some healthy popsicles Naomi left us and my lipstick/lip balm.
And then just as I moaned to Tom that Life Before Cats had been blissfully simple and I now officially regretted having two cats, Grace raced her hand and said, "Uh, what about me? You've forgotten to receive me to help you be patient and wise and strong."
And boy, was she right.
By afternoon? Grace revealed to Tom that if we moved the table away from the bay window, Daniel could sit on the sill in the sunshine and watch the birds and squirrels contentedly for hours. So we did and he was. And I gave Daniel a different can of cat food which he devoured and which made him calm down even more, so Note to Self--don't buy him beef flavor anymore.
The afternoon continued that way, peacefully, as it does when I stop trying to use my 52-year-old (sorry) brain and ask God and Grace what I should do, instead.
Some people thrive on brain power and their ability to spend hours figuring out problems and then proudly discovering an answer. But, uh, not me. In fact, this will sound extreme, ok? But I've grown to hate any of my ideas or so-called good words or kind deeds, even, which do not first come from the heart of God.
Why? Because the Bible says our own righteousness is as filthy rags in God's sight. And who wants to go around acting and looking like a filthy ol' rag to God? Who wants to waste their time, their whole decades on this planet that way? Not me, certainly.
No, I'll choose Grace and Obedience and Joy. Anyday, especially on Boy-Do-I-Need-Grace Mondays. :)
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"I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing." ... John 15:5
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There's a big difference between me trying to look like a good little Christian lady and just plain obeying God.
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