So this story I'm about to tell you did not happen at the grocery story. However, last year I posted Lessons at the Grocery Store and I like that title. Just think of this as a new series entitled Lessons from the Grocery Store. These lessons are things that God teaches me as I'm teaching my kids!!! Think of the Grocery Store as representation of the life of a stay-at-home Mom! I do frequent the grocery store at least once a week (usually more or I send Daniel on the 2nd and 3rd trip!).
Today's lesson is about being thankful for what we have. We were in the van on the way to get allergy shots and to visit Daddy at work. In a very whiny voice I hear, "Mommy!!!! Hannah's umbrella has a full princess on the end of her umbrella and my umbrella only has a Spiderman head!!!!!". My quick response was, "I hope I don't hear complaining because if you are complaining I can just take your umbrella away and then you won't have an umbrella at all!" "do you want me to do that?". "no". "Okay then, let's be thankful that you even have an umbrella." I was having trouble hearing and communicating in the van (they sit in the VERY back) and so I thought to continue the conversation later. I as continued to drive I began to think....you know I do the same thing.....I compare what I have to what other people have. It seems so silly to have a cool spiderman umbrella and to complain because it just has his head and not his whole body like Hannah's princess umbrella. What a small thing! Then I began to think. Does God think some of the things I "complain" to Him about are just as silly! The answers is probably so!!!
Once we got to Daddy's work we had more chance to talk. I reminded the kids of the verse we have taped to our wall it says, "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 We listed things we need in life to actually live, we decided food, water, sunlight, shelter (our house), and clothes (can live without clothes but ever since Eden that has been decided we should wear clothes) were about all we needed to live. The other things we have our toys, our car, our tv, our movies, our games, etc., etc., etc. were added things that God has blessed us with. We talked about how God wants us to Rejoice always. We decided that means to be happy all the time about what God has blessed us with. We talked about praying all the time and giving thanks for everything, Hannah had a good definition for everything, "all the things in the whole world", I added "that God has given us." We decided that we have been very blessed and we should not complain about the things we have.
So what can Mommy learn from all of this....Mommy needs to remember to rejoice always too and to give thanks in everything! I can be thankful for the two beautiful babies that God has given me and rejoice over them. I don't have to worry why so and so has 6 kids and they have 8 and that person who didn't even want her baby keeps getting pregnant! (these are random not actually thinking of particular people). I can be thankful that God has provided a beautiful home for us to live in. I don't have to worry that we don't have a homeschool room and a playground that has more than one functioning swing in the backyard, etc, and we only have one bathroom! I can be thankful that we had a wonderful vacation to the beach for 3 days and not be jealous of the person who took their family on a 10 day excursion to the beach and stayed in a beautiful resort and didn't have a tv that looked like it was going to fall and kill one of their children! All of these things are silly!!! I have kids!!! I have a house!!! I got to take a vacation!!! Benjamin has an umbrella!!!! Let us Rejoice!!! But most importantly let us rejoice that Jesus is my Savior and He is all we really need!!!
Thankfully God hasn't taken away the things I haven't been thankful enough for (I have removed toys from my kids that they were not thankful for)! What a great reminder to be thankful for all we have!! Because I sure don't want what I have to be taken!
Hope you enjoyed this Lesson at the Grocery Store! God teaches me so much through my kids and through my explanations to my kids about things. I read a quote just yesterday and it rings true, "God created families to do a perfecting work in us that couldn't possibly be done unless we were thrown together with the same group of people day in and day out."
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