I Can't Complain, But Sometimes I Still Do

Day one hundred twenty-six

There are some mornings when I am grateful for the fact that I tend to get up earlier than necessary.  It comes from teaching early morning seminary for so many years!  I enjoy having a little quiet time in the morning to say my prayers and to think about how to prepare for the day ahead, especially on the busy days.  This morning the extra time presented a great opportunity for me to talk with God about the events of the week, the concerns I have, and to seek His advice in dealing with it all.  I also took some extra time to be still and listen.  It was a great way to get centered on Christ in order to face my day!

Exodus 16

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do." ~ Joe Walsh

This could be the motto for the Israelites! And me too!  Maybe even you too.

At this point in Exodus the Lord has delivered the Israelites out of slavery, He has destroyed their enemy, He has guided them to safety, and He has even provided them with clean water when there was none!  But the pangs of hunger seem to erase these things from their memory, because it isn't long before they start murmuring or complaining to Moses and Aaron.  This complaining was a big problem, in verse 2 it states that the "whole congregation" participated in the murmuring, and the word murmur is found in some form 8 times in the 36 verses of this chapter.

Moses tries to help them understand that what they are doing is wrong.  He tells them that, "Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord."  (Ex 16:8)

How many of us are just as guilty of not being satisfied with the blessings that God gives us?  We complain about our families, or that we have too many trials, or not enough money.  The list of complaints is never ending!  We are a complaining society!  This reminded of a quote:

"The people who live in a golden age usually go around complaining how yellow everything looks."  ~Randall Jarrell

What are some gifts that the Lord gives us that we tend to complain about?  Here are three things that I have been guilty of not appreciating enough:

My Life
No matter how difficult our life might seem, it is still a gift from God.  Every breath is precious.  I am always impressed by those around me that have extreme challenges in their lives, yet still have a positive attitude.  They recognize this gift for what it is and where it comes from, and aren't going to waste one precious minute of it!

My Family
We have discussed the importance of family many times before.  It is not always easy to see the members of your family as children of God, sent to be a part of your life for a reason.  They are the people that you love the most, but also the people that can push your buttons the fastest!  The problem is, we rarely learn to appreciate them for who they are and what they bring to our life until they are gone.  I love the saying: Love them like there's no tomorrow!

My Trials 
We all face trials, the goal is to tackle them gracefully.  There are awkward times in our physical growth when we are clumsy and stumble and skin our knees. It is painful when that happens. It is also painful when we are growing spiritually.  Our trials might lead us into situations where we feel embarrassment or anger or hurt.  Pain is a necessary part of growth. During these times it might be helpful to look at our trials from a different perspective: "I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."  ~Jewish Proverb.  I love the wisdom of the Rabbi's!

These are some of God's most precious gifts to us in our journey, so how can we prevent ourselves from forgetting that? Take a few minutes each day (I try to think about it before I pray), to recognize the blessings that God has given you and thank Him for them.  Another effective way is to create a Gratitude Journal. Write in your journal at least 3 things you are grateful for each day and when times get rough go back and read what you wrote.  It often serves as a gentle reminder to change your perspective.  And don't worry, even if you don't recognize the blessings that God is giving you, He is still there, patiently loving and caring for you, and waiting for you learn to see Him in your life.