By the time you read this, hopefully, I will be sailing away. Yes, we are heading on a much-needed mission to find tranquility. It’s called vacation, and to be honest, I have never been good at those things. As a matter of fact, I know God left out the ‘relaxation’ gene when he made me.
When I do go on vacation, I usually feel somewhat guilty or embarrassed because there is something I should have done or forgot to do before I sat down. Furthermore, it does bother me to go on such a lavish adventure when so many are suffering today.
It begs the question, “Why am I so blessed?” If I’m cold, I turn up the heat. If I am hungry, I grab a snack in the kitchen. If I am sick, I call the doctor. It’s all so easy, isn’t it? The truth is that most of us are spoiled in our American way of life. It’s pretty cool to be us, but how and why are we so blessed to be us?
Perhaps God chose us to be the caretakers, the reminders, the kind ones who will promote goodwill. He blessed us with abundance so we could aid others who have no heat, little food, and no healthcare. The problem for so many is that we cannot for the life of us remember we are blessed!
Ringing any bells?
Shoot, I get mad when I can’t find my glasses, when the oven doesn’t heat faster, or when David hangs his jeans over anything but a coat hanger. I want to yell when Amazon is late or when I forget to buy snacks at the store around the corner. I complain about the high price of gasoline but think nothing about the high price I paid for the car, which requires expensive gas.
Ringing any bells out there?
Remember the old song, “If you worried and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep.” Sometimes, I sing that to my mind in the night when tossing and turning accompanies me to bed. There, I lay in a warm bed under clean sheets with a roof over my head and worry about whether I have the right clothes for my vacation to tranquility!
I forgot to replace the worry with thankfulness for the shelter over my head and the warmth of a blanket. And how do any of us find tranquility when thankfulness is missing? Impossible.
No complaint
As we watch the wars rage in other countries with horrific scenes of death and destruction, we must realize that our pettiness has no place right now. Instead of complaining or arguing, let’s praise God for the gifts He bestowed on this scraggly group of people. Our fights are no comparison to the battles they endure and the hardships they face.
When we count our blessings, we subtract our worries, and we strengthen our spirits.
No, I have never been good at vacations, taking it easy, or resting. However, perhaps I need to watch the moon fall into the ocean or study a cloud that floats in the sky. Maybe I need to reflect on the presents the Lord gave me, taking the time to value them more.
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus said in Matthew 11:28
God must know I need to rest for a bit. He may have to tie me in a chair, but so be it. I, like many, must take time to reflect, pray, and count my immense blessings. And when I do, I will be more thankful for the jeans that still hang over anything but a coat hanger.
I know when we stop to smell the rose or breathe in the fresh air, we renew our souls and clear our minds. I just wish I could take the rest of the world with me to do the same.