And all my mind can focus on is a thoughtless comment that was made to me earlier in the week.
How easy it is for me to stay in that place of hurt and bitterness and resentment and anger, and how difficult it is for me to recall the great things. Like, coming away from my guitar lesson with a plate of carrot cake, or spending all day with my best mates shopping for retro outfits for a party, or selling our clapped out banger of a car for the right amount we needed to pay for the new granny-mobile we just bought. All these things happened this week which were great!
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV) 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Whatever has happened this week to pee you off, don't retaliate. Do something good for someone else. Be happy, happy, happy! And keep praying. Continually give thanks to God, this is what He wants you to do.
Oh Paul, you make it sound so easy.
It's much more fun to get mad and have a rant, it's more interesting to listen to someone tell you who's annoyed them, than who gave them carrot cake, or so the enemy would have you believe.
In truth it drains you of energy. It tires the people around you who show compassion, but would probably rather you just shut up and offered them a piece of carrot cake. It propels the small lies you already believe about yourself into gigantic stories of fairytale proportion, and the Devil wins.
I am going to consciously pray to erase the negative memories of the week and obviously I'm going to go and have a piece of carrot cake.
What's on your 'gratitude list' for this week?
