Practically every time I cook dinner my boys will say, "Good dinner mom. Thanks!" It always takes me by surprise when they say it. I don't know why it does. After all, I've cooked dinner for my family for their entire lives. Although now that the boys are grown and we're all in college, I don't get to cook every night...well...ok...I cook dinner at least 3 nights a week. And they still make a point to say "Thanks mom." Every time.
I have my dad to thank for that. He always thanked me every time I cooked dinner-a habit the boys picked up from him. It's automatic. It doesn't seem flippant, though. You know, that just automatic-flippant-thing-we-say-without-thinking-and-everyone-just-takes-for-granted kinda' thing?
You can hear the difference between flippant and genuine...usually. Anyway, they truly seem to be automatically thankful for the dinner I made them. This could be attributed to my great cooking skills (Yes, I am a great cook-no modesty here), but they even thank me when I make hamburger helper!
Yes! I know! Hamburger helper!
Boys are so easy to please.
My point is, I think they are thanking me because they are genuinely grateful that I cooked dinner. They recognize this loving thing I do for them and they appreciate it and want to thank me for it. And yes, that gesture just comes automatically to them. And yes, I am still surprised and touched every time they say it.
This idea of the automatic thank you got me thinking. When do I automatically thank God? I mean the genuine-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart totally thank God? I bet you can answer that as easily as I can:
When something horrible happens and then everything works out ok.
Like the time I got a phone call that my youngest son, Ethan (who was 15 at the time) was hit by a car just 2 blocks from home as he was skateboarding. The guy on the phone told me he was alive and coherent and I thanked God as I bolted out of work to get to Ethan. I thanked God through my tears of relief when I saw him in the emergency room. I thanked God profusely when we realized the only major injury he sustained was a broken arm. I was continually, and non-stop automatically, thanking God for taking care of my son.
You can hear the difference between flippant and genuine...usually. Anyway, they truly seem to be automatically thankful for the dinner I made them. This could be attributed to my great cooking skills (Yes, I am a great cook-no modesty here), but they even thank me when I make hamburger helper!
Yes! I know! Hamburger helper!
Boys are so easy to please.
My point is, I think they are thanking me because they are genuinely grateful that I cooked dinner. They recognize this loving thing I do for them and they appreciate it and want to thank me for it. And yes, that gesture just comes automatically to them. And yes, I am still surprised and touched every time they say it.
This idea of the automatic thank you got me thinking. When do I automatically thank God? I mean the genuine-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart totally thank God? I bet you can answer that as easily as I can:
When something horrible happens and then everything works out ok.
Like the time I got a phone call that my youngest son, Ethan (who was 15 at the time) was hit by a car just 2 blocks from home as he was skateboarding. The guy on the phone told me he was alive and coherent and I thanked God as I bolted out of work to get to Ethan. I thanked God through my tears of relief when I saw him in the emergency room. I thanked God profusely when we realized the only major injury he sustained was a broken arm. I was continually, and non-stop automatically, thanking God for taking care of my son.
A few days ago, I started a new job. I can't begin to describe to you how excited, nervous and thankful I am for this job. After not having a steady job for 3 years and 9 months and hundreds (thousands, maybe) of applications and futile interviews, this job just fell in my lap. Out of the blue.
But when I got the job offer, I did not automatically thank God. Why not? I should have. It was a total God thing! He placed this job right into my lap! In fact, the last few years of my life (ok, ok, my entire life, but you know what I mean) have been about opportunities falling into my lap.
Going to school full time: in my lap.
Providing financial needs: in my lap.
Going on a mission trip: Yep, God put it in my lap and said, "here, you need to do this."
Being a camp counselor: God says, "You need to do this too."
8-week stint as an after school paid tutor: in my lap.
Dare I repeat myself: College has been the smoothest, open, most wonderful thing God has put in my lap!!! And He puts these things in my lap because He loves me. Period.
But when I got the job offer, I did not automatically thank God. Why not? I should have. It was a total God thing! He placed this job right into my lap! In fact, the last few years of my life (ok, ok, my entire life, but you know what I mean) have been about opportunities falling into my lap.
Going to school full time: in my lap.
Providing financial needs: in my lap.
Going on a mission trip: Yep, God put it in my lap and said, "here, you need to do this."
Being a camp counselor: God says, "You need to do this too."
8-week stint as an after school paid tutor: in my lap.
Dare I repeat myself: College has been the smoothest, open, most wonderful thing God has put in my lap!!! And He puts these things in my lap because He loves me. Period.
Did I ever automatically thank God for any of these wonderful things He's given to me? I have to say...probably not. And these things matter just as much as the horrible things that turn out ok.
By the way, I did thank God for this job. I have been thanking God like crazy ever since I began my new job. It gets me every time. Every time God just provides. He just places something in my lap.
Automatically.
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