Ever have some days that you just need the quiet? You need the 'do it yourself aloneness'? I sorta kinda had a day like that yesterday. It was a day of enjoyment with friends, quiet working on a craft, finishing a book, and driving around and ending up with Mexican food for dinner. Two movies finished up the day. Yeah, I had a good day yesterday. Got to bed late last night because of the movies, but slept all night - which is unusual in itself. And it was a deep sleep. I'm feeling 'mellow' today ... know I have things to do this morning, church, then after a quick lunch, head over to a facility where a friend is speaking so that I will know what to do next week when I cover for him. Then the afternoon/evening should be relaxing. Will see how that thought pans out as the day goes on!
Words of praise - how often do we brush those off? Compliments - how often do we say 'oh it was nothing' - when it may have been? I know I am guilty .... for some reason, sometimes, it is hard for me to receive a compliment. But send me a letter with a compliment in it, and it will go in my treasure box. There are some people who will read a letter that compliments them, but then will just throw them in the trash for they don't want 'stuff' laying around. They will say they read it and that's all they need.... but that really isn't true.
How many times when we are in a 'low' space, that we need that word of compliment, the word that says we matter? Mom, you are doing a good job. Your house may not be perfect, but you are raising your daughter(s) and your son(s) to love Jesus. That is more important. Dad, you are doing a great job. You show your daughter(s) how to be treated by a man by how you treat their mother. You show them love by disciplining them in the right way. Daughter, you are valued as you respect your parents and learn from them, and follow their leading. Sons, you are blessed when you respect your elders and honor them as you learn from them. Sometimes we just need to know that we matter.
I feel we all have days that are really low. We think poorly of ourselves. We spend too much money recklessly and wonder how in the world did we lose our mind and buy that? (Yes, that happened to me recently. Something I bought; I still wonder why did I buy that? It was stupid; I got roped in to it by not paying attention to what I was doing.) We beat ourselves up for our words, for our actions, and think we are not worthy of compliments. We respond to someone about something that we shouldn't have, and we beat ourselves up about it. Or even worse, we hold it in and withdraw from those that we love because we don't agree with them.
We make a mistake and yet something good comes from it. What do we do? We get a compliment on how well it turned out, and we instead will bring up what the worst part was.... when all we need to say is 'thank you'. They may remember what started it, but that isn't important, what is important is the end result. Right? Don't buy in to the natural, but in to nothing is too hard for God!
God can take the hardest circumstances and make them better. I am living proof of that. From the life I had growing up, from the life I made for myself out of my own self-centeredness, I truly believe God has taken the bad and set my face towards Him and has taught me how to live for Him - and that is always better.
Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NKJV): "Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for Me?"
I am grateful that God thought me worthy enough to send His one and only Son to die for me. And you know what, God thought you were worthy enough too, and sent His Son to die for you. He redeemed us. He covers us with the righteousness of Jesus. God's arm is not too short, and He reaches out for you and for me, and draws our hearts and minds close to Him.
My mind is all over the place this morning (do I apologize for that?) but the thing I started with... or perhaps just touched on... when you receive a compliment, just say thank you. And put that thought in your mind for reference. But when you receive a written praise or compliment, or something that was good from something you did (like the note I got from a granddaughter recently), don't just read it and throw it away. Take that note and put in a treasured place, where you keep those special things, and when you need that encouragement, go to that treasure box, and pull it out, and read it and be encouraged once again. And sometimes we need to write one. Think about it. Perhaps it is your spouse; write them a note of appreciation. Maybe it's your child that needs to hear a word of approval from you. There is something always to say good about.
Nothing is too hard for God. If He can forgive us for all our sins, and His arm is not too short to provide for us even in the most difficult times, praise Him. Thank Him. Write Him a note of praise, adoration, and love. He hides those in His heart too.
Blessings!
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