Redemption

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 208: Today, I am grateful for redemption.

"Comparison is a thief of joy." -Teddy Roosevelt

Comparison leads to discontentment. It always has. Cain and Abel are an excellent example. We live in a "never enough" society that bombards us with images of "a little more and so much more." Seeding discontentment is a popular marketing tool because it works. 

We neve know when plot twists might bring a change in our lives. I am grateful that God has a history of going beyond restoration. He brings redemption. 

"Job didn't get his old life back. God did not restore what he lost, He rewrote the ending and gave him more than he had before. Some pain won't be explained, it'll be redeemed." 

Job's story was full of deep sorrow, disappointments, and heartbreak, but he remained faithful to God. His redemption was full, pressed down, and overflowing. At the end of his life, his barn, his house, and his lap was full. 

Every life is a story, with a new page written every day. We each have our own race to run. Like cross-country, it is not about comparison. It is about setting a goal and your personal record (P.R.) to beat. I am so grateful that we are not compared to Job, Moses, Mary, or Ruth. 

We can make the most of the page before us today, wherever we are in the race. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," -Hebrews 12:1

Today, I am grateful for redemption.

Not Erased, Revealed

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 207: Today, I am grateful to not be erased, but revealed. 

"Dying to self is not the death of who you are, it is the death of who you were never meant to be. It is the sacred shedding of every false identity, every mask, every counterfeit version that life, sin, and pain tried to graft onto your soul. In Christ, you are not erased; you are revealed." - Found quote, unknown source

What a great thought to read and reread. Let it soak into your soul. You are a masterpiece, even when you do not see it in the mirror. Like clay or any sculpture is revealed by the master's hand... so are we. 

Some revelations take more time than others. Both glass and clay allow "do overs" in the process. "Getting it right" is rarely instant. It is part of the process. 

May the sacred shedding of every false identity be more freeing than the previous layer in your process of becoming all you were intended to be. 

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." – Ephesians 2:10

Today, I am grateful to not be erased, but revealed. 

Advice from a Flamingo

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 206: Today, I am grateful for sage advice from a flamingo. 

Advice from a Flamingo

*Everything is prettier in pink. 
*Always tell the truth, or you won't have a leg to stand on. 
*Sometimes it's best to keep your head down.
*Don't just look at the bright side, be the bright side. 
*Every so often, try to get a tropical getaway.
*Life is tough. It's okay to get your nose bent out of shape once in a while. 
*Things don't always go as planned. Sometimes you just have to wing it. 
*Don't just be a lawn ornament. Get out there and live!

Flamingos always make me think of Matthew and Jennifer. There are several reasons and each one makes me smile. Matt learned to embrace the pink when they had girls. He can rock it with confidence. Do not mess with his pink traveling cup! From Denny Crane in Boston Legal to the beaches of Aruba, flamingos seem to show up in stories, shared laughs, and memories. 

Flamingos are pink primarily due to their diet, which includes shrimp and algae. When flamingos are born, they have gray plumage. As they grow, their diet rich in beta-carotene—a pigment found in the algae and brine shrimp they consume—causes their feathers to turn pink. The more they eat, the pinker they become. Isn't nature grand? 

They are entertaining to watch. They are highly social and monogamous for life. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. They use their beaks as filters to sift through mud and water for food. Because they are completely different from what we see in the Midwest landscape, it makes them even more interesting. 

I think my favorite piece of wisdom was "Don't just look at the bright side, be the bright side," closely followed by "every so often take a tropical getaway." Both contain hope. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1

Today, I am grateful for sage advice from a flamingo. 

Unique Expressions

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 205: Today, I am grateful for unique expressions. 

I love language. The written word and the spoken word tell us a great deal about the people, the places, and the way they live. One of my favorite solo games to play is to listen to how people speak or the words they say to determine where they are from. Even an hour difference can change the accent or add words to the vernacular... the "mother tongue" of any place. 

I recently watched several videos about an island off the shore of North Carolina.  Ocracoke Island in North Carolina is known for its unique dialect. The Ocracoke Brogue, a distinctive form of English, has roots in Elizabethan English, but has been shaped by influences from Native Americans, English sailors, and pirates over centuries. The dialect is characterized by its unique vocabulary and pronunciation, making it one of the few American dialects not easily recognized as American by outsiders. It has a cadence similar to other island languages. 

Growing close to Chicago, in a rural setting, made me acutely aware of minor but significant differences in pronunciation, expressions, and word choices.  The etymology of a word is as fascinating to me. Language can be shaped by many things including the kind of work the people do. Fishing villages use phrases that might be unfamiliar to grain farmers and vice-versa. The same would be true for mining and manufacturing communities. Language is part family of origin and part all of the places we go, work, and live. 

Today, I am grateful for unique expressions. 

Dandelion Hope

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 203: Today, I am grateful for dandelion hope. 

"Be like a dandelion. Whenever they fall apart, they start again. Have hope."

I know they are considered weeds. They are the nemesis of the "perfect" lawn. Still, I cannot help but see the flower in the sunny bloom and the wish in the dandelion puff. 

Dandelions are so much more than a weed. Dandelion tea and dandelion root have health benefits that continue to be researched and discovered. Dandelion tea was on Mama Ina Mae's list of things that were good for you. To be honest, "good for you" does not always taste good. It is not my favorite tea, but I've learned long ago that a good tea at the right time does wonders for what ails you. 

The humble dandelion reminds me that being misunderstood is not a good reason to give up. 

"because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace." -Colossians 1:4-6

Wishing you a hope filled day. 

Today, I am grateful for dandelion hope. 

Known Identity

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 202: Today, I am grateful for my known identity. 

If you travel at all, TSA's "known traveler number" identification process is worth it. It makes the security lines shorter and and faster. It does, however, not get Jiff peanut butter through security. Still, the time saved justifies the cost. It is good to be known. In fact, the attitude seems different when you pass through the gate. 

This passage made me think about the KTN. Jesus had a special relationship with Simon Peter. Not because he was perfect, but because he was passionate and intuitive. Perhaps his years on the Sea of Galilee made him both. As a sailor and fisherman, you had to pay attention to the signs on the water and in the sky that many others missed. 

When Peter encountered Jesus, he saw first what others missed. He was the first to declare Him the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It was a powerful declaration. Peter knew what he knew; Jesus knew it, too.  

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” -Matthew 16:15-16

Peter has heard "Well done, good and faithful servant." He has experienced the ultimate "KTN" experience. Not every day was perfect for Peter, but every day he lived and died with confidence of his known identity. 

Today, I am grateful for my known identity. 

Lantana

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 201: Today, I am grateful for lantana.

Lantana is not something we have purchased regularly for our summer pots. This year, the kids gave it as a gift on Mother's Day. What a showstopper it has been all summer long! The blooms are absolutely beautiful and they attract butterflies. (One note, the berries can be very poisonous so be careful with pets and small children tempted by berries.) 

It is one of the plants that butterflies love, so it helps nature, too. It is pretty, eco-friendly, and full of bright color. As you think about next year's plantings, consider lantana. It seems to be very user friendly with not much maintenance. 

The scriptures note the majesty of nature and the way it seems to sing the praises of our Creator. It cannot not help it. For a worm to be transformed into a butterfly is quite a wonder. Not every season in life is pretty. Some are hard. Others are waiting places. Still, His goodness is true. He makes all things beautiful in His time. 

 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14

Today, I am grateful for lantana.