Spoiling the Design

“Non-eucharisteo, ingratitude, was the fall–humanity’s discontent with all that God freelygives. That is what has scraped me raw: ungratefulness.” ~~ Ann Voskamp




One of the biggest problems we face today is the problem of ungratefulnes. It started in the garden with Adam and Eve and it continues on. We’ve had it too good for so long that we expect everything for nothing. We have come to the point where we don’t appreciate anything until we lose it and even then we aren’t very grateful. Things such as the job we have, our love ones near by, our good health, and so much more.


We often think that in order to be thankful for anything we need to get exactly what we want when we want it. If we don’t, if there’s any kind of delay or tweaking in the answer we expected then all need for gratefulness is cancelled.


Boy, what a bunch of spoiled kids God created. No, what God created was His children, we are the ones who added the “spoiled” to the formula. We are the ones who have damaged seriously the disposition God intended for us by pampering with His design. We are the ones guilty of injuring, harming, and hurting His design to raise children with grateful appreciative hearts.


For years I struggled with the scripture that told me, “In everything…..with thanksgiving….make your requests known to God.” The “In everything” seemed to be impossible. I was weak enough in my Christian walk that I couldn’t see how I could possibly be grateful for what I was enduring in life. Over time I convinced myself the “in everything” surely didn’t pertain to me because of the degree of my pain and suffering.


There was no doubt about it I was living my life like the Psalmnist that said, “If you do this for me God, I’ll be forever grateful, I’ll praise you Lord. I promise.” I wanted God to go first then I would follow. After all isn’t that the way we were taught. God go first. We only follow that formula when its for our convience to shove God out in front. There we go again spoiling the design. Tampering with something that had purpose.


God doesn’t tell us to be thankful our husband was killed, or we are dieing of cancer, or that our child has turned on us, or we are both job and homeless. The thankfulness comes from being thankful we have a God to turn to, salvation, air to breath, other love ones to love, memories to share, others to make.


Life goes on and how we approach that determines the length of our journey. We can either grumble the whole journey or look out to find ways to be thankful. One makes the journey seem long, the other makes it go by quicker in preparation for the next adventure life has for us travel.


Stop spoiling the design and start using God’s formula. One where thankfulness is found in the first, middle and last in a heart prepared to travel through life’s journeys no matter what they may be.

© 2011 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing