Blessed

I had this whole post started about how I was in a bad mood yesterday. It was all about how we have outgrown our townhouse and how there are piles of clothes everywhere because the closets and dressers are full. We need a playroom for Beatrice's (and the cat's) toys. There is not enough room for the 2 strollers we have and our dining room triples as JD's office, my crafting zone and the overflow for toys.

Then I went to church this morning and heard our pastor talk about what a blessing it is to wake up in a country where we have options of what to wear, where to worship, and what to eat. And if we don't have what we need in our own homes, there are stores with aisles of every imaginable food and malls filled with clothes. We are blessed.

It got me thinking of how entitled I can feel sometimes. Entitled to a warm bed with clean sheets. Entitled to a well-dressed baby. Entitled to a bigger place. Entitled to a handsome husband who loves the Lord. Not because I think I'm special and deserve those things, but because I often compare what I have to others. And our culture preaches "if you want it, get it because you deserve to be happy." When in actuality, we are not entitled to another day. Each day God gives us is a gift. And all of the things and stuff in our lives are gifts.

I don't like complaining. The Bible says "to do all things without grumbling or complaining" Philippians 2:14. I make a conscience effort each day not to complain because it is an ugly habit. I'm sure we all know people who complain about everything, even good things. I try to be thankful and not complain, but yesterday I was in a mood and let the negativity leak out. I didn't see the pile of 15 skirts that need to go to Goodwill as a blessing. I have so many clothes, I can donate them and my closets are still full. Yay God. I was mad about the baby toys in the dining room and the pantry being a disorganized mess. I didn't realize how blessed I am to have a pantry so full it needs organization to fully stock our food.

I needed to be reminded of how blessed we are. We still need more room for our growing family, but I am going to be content with every square foot we have (and maybe ask God to show me new ways to organize and better optimize the space). So be thankful today for what little or lot you have. God is good and we are all so blessed!