I Am Thankful For Today's Gifts

Some days, it is just easier to complain and miss the silver lining, isn’t it? I haven’t had one of those days this week. I’ve had one of those weeks. Not a good thing.

I got my 2008 bonus last week. Now before you start imagining me on a yacht or living amongst the rich and famous, let’s conduct a quick reality check:

1. I don’t work for AIG here. HA!

2. Remember, I’m the low gal on the totem pole in my company. I'm a peon.

3. My bonus wasn’t huge by any means, but the truth is that I was thrilled to be getting anything extra at all. When so many are struggling to keep or find jobs, I was truly thankful to have anything extra to set aside.

So on Monday, I dropped my car off for a scheduled tune-up. Now I admit, I suspected that this $900 visit to replace the timing belt, water pump, etc. might get more expensive since they were going to be checking everything out under the hood, but I was still hopeful that all would be well. Well, you know what’s coming next, right? I got that dreaded phone call on my lunch break. The car battery was reading “at death’s door” and there was something about the suspension failing. They explained it in great detail, but they lost me at the price tag. The bottom line had nearly doubled: $1740 in total for the scheduled repairs plus the additional finds. OUCH! So, I thought about it for all of 30 seconds. After all, I do need my car, and I told the service manager to proceed with those additional fixes, but inside, the grumbling had begun.

My sister and I have talked about this before. Every time we seem to have a little bit extra come our way, something comes up and swallows those funds right away. You’ve already mentally been planning what you could do with that money – like buy a new laptop, TV, clothes, a trip or whatever; but then, the water heater breaks, the furnace dies or your car is in need of extra repairs and suddenly that extra money you thought you had is gone.

So naturally, I was not a happy camper. Gone was the sunshine. Gone was the prospect of saving money. Gone was my joy. I was doom and gloom for a few minutes as I sat mumbling to myself at my desk, and then it dawned on me. A light bulb started flickering above my head. WAIT A MINUTE! HE had done it again. HE had supplied for a need before I knew I needed it. I didn’t have to scramble and try to come up with the funds for major car repairs on my own. No, GOD had provided the money. HE had earmarked those funds for a need I was going to have that only HE knew about. No accident. There was nothing random or coincidental about it. HE had provided again.

Philippians 4:19-20 (The Message) You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity.

Matthew 6:34 (NASB) So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Yes, it would be nice to be able to save more money for the future. Yes, it was a bit shocking to watch my bank account deplete so rapidly. BUT I was blessed to watch my Heavenly FATHER provide for my every need once again. HE is so very good. And if I kept on wallowing in misery about the lost funds, which were never really mine in the first place, I would be missing the obvious signs of HIS ever-present provision in my life. I needed to recapture that attitude of gratitude.

LORD, thank you for providing for my every need. I am thankful that YOU know what is ahead and that I can rest in YOU to see me through. Forgive my ungrateful heart.