Appreciating the Gifts of Life (Don't Get Too Focused on the Raisins!)

I was running today in the 84 degree heat, however, I had a need to have a "relaxing run." I find that it helps me get my focus off the trivial things of life and appreciate the "bigger picture." I just returned and felt it did just that. Funny I should read this very appropriate and related note from the Pastor of our church. Whether you run, go to church or both, I thought you might enjoy it as I did:

"This past Monday, I got a Golden Retriever puppy. He is nine weeks old and his name is Makai (a Hawaiian word meaning “toward the ocean.”) My wife, who spent several years of her childhood in Hawaii, named him. I call him “Mak” for short.

I had forgotten how much fun (and how much work) a puppy can be. When Mak is not in his crate I have to watch him constantly. He can so quickly wander, and because he is still in the process of housetraining, he is prone to “accidents” if I don’t get him outside in time to “do his business.”

This morning, Mak was with me in the kitchen as I was packing my lunch. I was making a ham and cheese sandwich and my puppy was looking up at me with his “puppy dog eyes” licking his chops. I wanted a small piece of ham from the sandwich I was putting together and I was going to give him a small piece of ham as a reward for being a good dog. But suddenly, Mak noticed a dried up raisin that had fallen on the floor and was just out of reach under the refrigerator. Mak feverishly scratched and whined and tried to get his nose under the refrigerator to get that raisin. At the same time, I was trying to get his attention so I could give him a nice piece of ham. But he wouldn’t respond to me. He was obsessed about that raisin. I finally gave up and just put the ham on my sandwich.

I thought about how we are all sometimes like Mak. We get so focused and sometimes obsessed about “lesser things” that we miss out on some of the best things that God has for us. I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I have been preoccupied with the trivial raisins just out of reach and missed out on the wonderful gifts that come from the hand of God. And like Mak, I am quick to wander.

One of the reasons I value our weekend worship services so much is that it helps me get my focus where it needs to be. I find that when I pull away from everyday life and settle down in God’s presence, I find the peace and perspective I so desperately need, and I am then better able to discern the truly important things from the lesser things."

Taken from Pastor Notes, Senior Pastor Mark Miller, EUMC.ORG

Have a great weekend!

Heidi J Cox
www.heidijcox.com
www.heidijcox.biz