Last night was a LATE night. My BFF from middle school came for dinner and we (and Joshua) were up late catching up. Joshua did not get to bed until 11 - yikes! He woke up this morning at 7 and called for me. So I stumbled into his room looking forward to a big Thanksgiving hug and snuggle. What I received was not such good news, "Mommy, Joshua kaka (poop) pull-up!"
My answer was total disbelief. He has never pooped in his pants. But it was true. There is NOTHING fun about changing an almost 3 year old's poopy pants, yuck!
The next thing I do is go into the kitchen, very quietly as everyone else is asleep, to mix up a pan of pumpkin bars for Thanksgiving dessert. Joshua loves to mix and we were having a super time... until Brenna woke up and snuck downstairs. Then Joshua followed. Then momma followed to remind them NOT to wake the big kids. Then my whole batter bowl of freshly mixed pumpkin goo slipped off the counter and ALL OVER my kitchen floor. I was not a happy momma.
First poop and then pumpkin! My first thought was to just give in and become GRUMPY! It had. not. been. a. good. morning! Thankfully, I quickly realized that I had a very important choice to make. I could choose to be thankful or I could choose to be grumpy.
It really is a choice.
So I chose to thank God that even though we will not have dessert this Thanksgiving, I would not have to scrape dirty food up off the floor and feed it to my children because it was all we had. I chose to be thankful because the spill had happened on hard flooring and NOT on carpet. I chose THANKFULNESS.
I would love to tell you that my heart has been totally thankful, peaceful, and joyful ever since, but the truth is I have had to continually CHOOSE to be thankful today. My flesh would like to just be grumpy, which quite honestly is irritating me because I have so very much to be thankful for. But perhaps what true thankfulness is all about is choosing to be thankful even when you do not feel it?
I have reminded myself of this verse many times today:
"Be joyful always;
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5.16-18
The author of that verse faced much more dire circumstances than tired kids, poopy pull-ups, and pumpkin goo. He faced absolute persecution and finally death as an earthly "reward" for following Jesus. My concerns and moods are so very petty.
Forgive my humanness, Lord Jesus. Forgive me for my un-thankful grumpy heart. Thank you for blessing me with so much. All our needs have been met by You and You alone. Thank you as we are not deserving of the plenty, the muchness that we are surrounded with. Please continue to teach us your will for our life and all that you have given us. And Lord Jesus, I pray today that the two boys we sponsor in Africa are warm, clothed, and fed today. As we prepare a mountain of food to enjoy on this Thanksgiving day in America, I think of them and pray that they have enough food, hope, and love to sustain them. Thank you for saving our Joshua Gebeyehu. A year ago his life was bleak. Thank you for miraculously connecting our hearts. Thank you for the gift of our precious sons and daughters. Thank you for allowing us to be Your children. I am so unworthy of all I have received.
