Some of
the richest moments of life happen when no one else is looking, when no one
else is around and when no one is making a noise about it. Jesus is
always working in our lives. The question is, “Do we have eyes to see and
ears to hear?” Most days happen in a blur if we do not slow down and pay
close attention to God working in our lives.
When was the last time you ran your fingers through water
while doing dishes and said, “Thank you, Jesus.”? Or have you ever been on your
knees wiping up some dirt or spill on the floor and stopped to thank God for
that water? I sometimes will look at the warm fresh sudsy water doing what I do
every day and suddenly become overwhelmed by the spirit of God. My heart
will fill with such gratitude. God had to minister this message to my heart one
day. It started as a typical day with me grumbling to myself over my endless
chore list. My attitude was poor and I just wanted to get the cleaning
over with so that I could move onto the next task on my list. I felt the
spirit begin to stir inside me and I heard a whisper, “There are people who do
not have any clean water to drink to survive.” This caught me off
guard. I looked at the running water in the sink that I was using to
clean my dishes so that my family and I can be safe from sickness and
diseases. I also thought about how when I am done, all I have to do is
pull the stopper and the dirty water will run out. I have the privilege
to fill that sink up again multiple times throughout the day.
Also, my heart began to soften as
I thought of the numerous times I would grudgingly scour the carpet wiping up
baby drool or throw up. I cannot count the times I had been angry about
doing the task, but thank God for the water! Thank God that the baby can crawl
on clean floors. Then, my heart got convicted once again as I thought
about how easy it was for me to go to the kitchen and pour a glass of
water. I thought about how others do not have this luxury. God has
made a way for little, ungrateful me to nourish my body and in the process, he
nourished my soul. John 7:38-39 (NIV) says “Whoever believes in me,
as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By
this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been
glorified.” Jesus is the living water. So while I was cleaning and doing the
mundane chores in my home, God ministered to me and I began thanking him and
praising him. God took something ordinary to make me realize that we all have
something to praise him for everyday and every moment. We do not have to
wait for a miracle to happen.
When I began accepting this idea, I began to grow spiritually and look at my
life through new eyes. I began to get more and more excited on seeing God
in my everyday life and ultimately my praises became more frequent. Then,
my perspective changed and ultimately my heart did too. Instead of being
cranky waking up 2:00 a.m. for a feeding, I would look at that warm baby
snuggled in the crook of my arm and smile. As she would let out a
satisfied sigh after a feeding, I stared to say, “Thank you, God.”
Instead of fretting over what drama my job will bring each day, I praise God
for even having a job, especially a job that has medical and dental insurance.
Instead of me focusing on the car bill due every month, I praise God that I
have a way to get to my job and to get from place to place. I may not
have everything that I want, but I have everything that I
need. Philippians 4:19 (KJV) says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This means to trust God to take care of you for
everything big and small.
I praise him for each day
that I wake up, I praise him for the food on my table, I praise him for the
clothes on my back. Don’t wait for some tremendous, earth shaking blessing to
occur in order to praise God. Right now, my mother is struggling with her
cancer returning. It is a battle she has gone through since 2000.
Each time, God has blessed her. But I am not going to wait until he
removes the cancer again to declare that God is a healer. I am not going
to wait until she finishes any surgery and treatment. I am going to
praise God right now for her being here. I praise him for her
laughter. I praise him for her wisdom; I praise him for her goodness and
for her being a wonderful role model to me. I am grateful right
now. Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) says, “Through
Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the
fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” We are also told in Psalm 150:6
(NIV) Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” This strengthens me a believer and a woman
to seek God in everything, not just miracles.
Therefore, women of God, be careful not to let what we see as insignificant
everyday tasks pass us by without seeing God in them and acknowledging
him. Remember, to slow down your pace in a busy schedule to say, “Thank
you, Jesus.” Even in the most desperate of circumstances, see God’s hand
working. Allow God to minister to your heart, listen to the spirit as it
whispers in your ear. I will guarantee you that it will be a blessing to your
life. According to Webster’s dictionary a miracle is a noun that means “an extraordinary
event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” You do not need a miracle to occur in order to
praise God. He is blessing you right now.
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