Due to a busy spring and the thought that maybe prices would go down on plants, we did not start our garden until early June. (The cost was a faulty misconception – vegetables seemed expensive this year!) We are just now beginning to see our tomatoes turn vibrant shade of red. But this delay has not stopped us from enjoying homegrown produce.
Thanks to the generosity of Kyle’s aunt and uncle, a new neighbor and a friend of my mom’s, we have been blessed tremendously with fresh food. And this does not even show the food that we already consumed and processed.
But last week I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the work that was involved in using this gift. And rather than being thankful, I was tending to grumble. At least in my heart. “Look at all this food I have to prepare.” Funny that you can change the meaning simply by changing the tone!
Philippians 4:11-12
Good News Translation (GNT)
11 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. 12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.
This year has brought a bit of need to our lives. Nothing too much but enough where money has been tight. And I have seen how much God can provide and stretch something out of nothing. How quickly I forgot that lesson.
God gave us a table full of vegetables. Food for our family that we did not toil or pay to produce. And I was frustrated by the effort and preparation that was required?
My dear friend, Amy, surprised me with a package in the mail this spring. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. While I was excited about the title, I kept putting off reading it. Until Friday. When God prompted my heart that I needed to discover an attitude of gratitude. And so I began. To be honest, the first chapter is a bit depressing. But as I have been reading her words, I can see how I need to join the author on her quest to find joy, grace and thankfulness. Eucharisteo!
I can be content with less, so I did not anticipate struggling with being content with plenty. God has provided so graciously to me and my family, and I need to be walking through life recognizing his gifts. As I saw on a book-bag recently, “Too blessed to be stressed.” Do I live that way? With thankfulness in my heart for all that God supplies? Or do I expect more? Or do I long for less? Being content in either circumstance – a difficult challenge. I long to live acknowledging all that God has done on my behalf. For oh how He has provided. Abundantly!
Thank you for your words this morning. I needed to hear these and change my outlook a little. As I was looking at the my kitchen filled with baskets of homegrown things already brought in and knowing that I have to go out and pick more, I was feeling very overwhelmed. However, I am very thankful with what God has certainly blessed us with recently! Now I need to work on the idea of being “too blessed to be stressed”. 🙂 Thanks!
I would imagine that you could fill several tables full of produce. All that you do would completely overwhelm me! Being thankful in the midst of circumstances can certainly be challenging.
We were out your direction today – should have arranged to get honey. If you are ever our direction or if we are out your way, we will have to meet up!