Daily Graces

Last Friday marked the third trip to our children’s doctor’s office in as many weeks and I was becoming quite tired of it all – the kids being sick and missing school, my wife and I missing work, the restlessness from sitting, the boredom of watching daytime television in the waiting room, etc. But as I sent out sarcastic tweets of Dora & Diego and composed other gripes and complaints in my mind, I was reminded of my greater ailment of ingratitude.

While my frustrations were easily justified, what was revealed in my own prayer life was not. It was a sad discovery to see how my prayers are so closely tied to my problems. Sure I’m faithful to honor the pre-meal saying of grace and I usually count blessings just before I count sheep each night. Yet, to find me on my knees outside of those routine scenarios, well there must be a wrench in my plans somewhere.

The point I’d like to make, however, has less to do with the frequency and fervency of my prayers than it does the expectant, entitled nature of my heart. How many mornings do I awake with good health? Sure I’m typically not excited about climbing out of bed but I do have a place of employment…a school for our little ones to attend…and the option of eating breakfast before we go. The daily blessings of health and provision are so easy to overlook. Even as I type this blog, I’m reminded of the involuntary nature of our existence. I’ve never told my heart to beat or my mind to function or convinced my lungs to do their job. God takes care of all that. And for me to not acknowledge those common graces assumes that I somehow feel deserving.

This is bigger than me though. If I’m not careful, this “problems only prayer life” will become part of the faith I pass down to our kiddos…I want our children to trust God with every fear and obstacle they face! I want them to know that He hears their every cry. I desire for them to be real and transparent with their heavenly Father, and I believe that relationship comes through having the spiritual eyes to see His goodness each day…and that vision is developed and modeled in the home. When we rely on God with the smallest of things, we find our faith and trust in Him to be deep and our thankfulness abundant.

So my encouragement is this: reflect on His goodness to you this morning. If it is one of those “normal” A.M. starts, contemplate how you will convey your gratitude today. If you find yourself in a tougher season, think about what the Lord might be showing you in this time and hold to the truth that He is good and does good (Psalm 119:68). Ultimately wherever you are, consider the faith you live before your children and remember, they’re watching more than just cartoons.