When thou has thanked thy God
For every blessings sent,
What time will then remain
For murmurs or lament. – R.C. Trench
This is a day for which I am very thankful to God. It my son’s birthday. And thank goodness Trench’s poem was part of my morning’s reading. For you see, I may meditate in the mornings and write about it afterwords, but I am not immune from the occasional bout of self-loathing and holding a private pity party of what ifs and complaining about injustices and unexplainable behavior on the part of others.
Trench reminds me that complaining displeases God, and diverts my attention from all of his blessings. When I lose myself in a session of “what ifs” and “how could he or she” I am clinging on to the wrong things in my life. Anger, jealousy, and self-flagellation cloud my vision of the gifts I have in abundance. I know that in good way every “what if” and every “how could they” is a lesson from God about how much damage comes from the conduct that now pains me so much.
It is trite probably to say life is a journey, but wisdom comes from the lessons we learn not just from the blessings we experience but from the inequities and cruelty in the world as well. Wisdom is a product of time and experience, and I have learned that the best way to overcome those temptations to complain is to lose oneself in giving thanks.
Today, is one of those days where I am reminded of God’s gift to me of one the greatest blessings a father can ever receive. As I lose myself in celebration and thanks, my complaints seem petty, minor, and “doesn’t do to think about” – as Suzy’s grandmother used to say.
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