Spilling Over

Have you ever put a pot of some liquid on the stove, turned on the heat, and gotten busy doing something else only to turn around and see the pot boiling over, making a mess? If this has never happened to you, then you might have to consider something else, like pouring a fizzy drink and watching, helplessly, as the bubbles race to the top of the glass; you quickly begin slurping the popping liquid, so it doesn’t run over the top. I think we all get the picture. Well, now consider that boiling pot and fizzy drink as “thankfulness” and “gratefulness” you hopefully feel every day of your life.

Loved one, I don’t know what your life looks like, and my intention is not to make light of any circumstance with which you may be dealing at this time or ever, that causes or has caused you pain. After losing my husband to younger onset Alzheimer’s disease, I wondered how I would live without the man I had known since we were teenagers. As beautiful as God’s created world is, no one, if he or she lives long enough, travels through it without experiencing some level of pain, either physical, mental, or emotional pain. So, how, where, and when do thankfulness and gratefulness fit into your life story and into mine?

Being thankful and grateful are not a result of how full and rewarding our lives are; they are the result of how full our hearts are because you and I are loved by God. Beyond our wildest imaginations, the God of all that is, has been, or ever will be knows and loves you and me intimately. Now, go ahead, let that pour into your understanding and just try and hold back your overflowing joy. On the other hand, let it spill over onto everyone you meet; both you and they will be glad you did.