The Never Ending Gifts

I opened the dryer door, and a billow of warmth caressed my face and arms. Oooo, I love warm. Thank you, Jesus, for my washer and dryer. I leaned down, gathered the cuddly bundle of sheets, and carried them to the bedroom.

My mother, who grew up in Kansas, told me how her mother wore gloves with the fingers cut off in the winter while hanging their clothes up to dry outside. She knew the clothes were dry when they were no longer stiff. I shuddered at the thought as I plopped my fluffy sheets onto the bed.

Today’s “Connection Challenge” of thanking God for everything made me more aware of all the things I take for granted—the clothes I put on this morning that I didn’t make, the food at the store I didn’t grow. My body has thousands of parts that work perfectly. I rush through my days without giving any of these a thought.

Although giving thanks for these things boosted my mood, I had to keep reminding myself that the purpose of this exercise was to connect to Jesus. All the good things I was thankful for came from God (James 1:17). He gave people the ability to make electric dryers, and he caused the food to grow. God gave Bob and I the ability to earn the money to buy everything we have, and to enjoy it, too.

As I shifted my focus from gratefulness for the gifts to gratefulness to the Giver, my awareness of God’s love for me increased.

Oh. The one I most take for granted is God. But hopefully I’m changing that.

This day of purposefully connecting with God by giving thanks turned out just as well—maybe even better—than when I tried it last fall. Again, I noticed myself smiling more. Minor inconveniences didn’t irritate me. Whenever I found myself trudging through my chores—forgetting my assignment—I looked up, gave thanks, and felt my heart lighten once more.

I look forward to tomorrow’s “Connection Challenge” exercise:

Premise: To receive God’s power and peace in my life, I need to be connected to Jesus (John 15:4-5).

Guidelines: For 21 days, my only goal will be to connect with Jesus throughout each day. I can also do any other activity if I can do it with Jesus.

Connection Aid: Day 2, Tuesday January 7: Praise God

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.” Throughout this day, I will connect with Jesus by praising my God of Love, Patience, and Creation.