My husband and I love salmon, so when I recently found it on sale, I couldn't resist buying it. I was anticipating making it in my new air fryer and excitedly told him about my upcoming menu plan. The only hiccup to my plan is the fact our kids do not have the same appreciation for salmon that we do. In fact, yesterday as I prepared our delicious dinner, I was already hearing their complaints in my head. I admit, just the thought of the impending whining took the fun out of dinner preparation. Sure enough, upon their arrival home, their curious eyes caught sight of the asparagus prepped for the oven. Then came the questions of what else are we having?! I casually said, "Salmon and rice." Shrieks of horror ensued. You would have thought I asked them to go catch and filet the fish as well! One child was cautiously optimistic, another was woefully willing, and my third was a basketcase of tears! Even though the meal was delightful to my taste buds, my company was not.
When the complaining finally subsided and some of the stomachs were somewhat full, my husband whispered his thanks in my ear. His words were a balm to my frustrated heart; a content and thoughtful thank you meant a lot.
This scenario brought to mind the story of the Israelites soon after their exodus from Egypt. In Exodus 16:2 it says, "In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron." They whined as they remembered sitting around pots of meat, eating all the food they wanted. So God decided to bless them with manna, bread that rained from heaven each morning, and quail that covered the camp each evening. It wasn't long after that, the Israelites began complaining of thirst, and God provided for that need too. By Numbers 11, the discontent Israelites began to crave other food and wailed about the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that they used to consume. They seemed to forget the miserable slavery and bondage that they were rescued from all because they missed the variety of food they no longer had access to. But their needs were being met by God himself; why couldn't that satisfy their grumbling?
How often are we guilty of the same spirit of discontent? We whine and complain about our government, the rising food and gas prices, injustice, our churches, our leaders, the weather, our clothing, jobs, traffic, our neighbors, our loved ones...the list could go on. What would it do for our morale the morale of our families, communities, and churches, if we instead, focused on the many blessings and provisions of God?!
This motto has a profound impact on me:
I believe we can greatly impact the world around us by simply being grateful and content. Satan uses the society around us to lie that more will make us happier and complete. We will be a breath of fresh air if we learn to vocalize the blessings of our day. We will be changed from the inside out. Complaining is contagious, but so are positive words...so why don't we strive to build up rather than tear down?!
Just like the thoughtful words of thanks my husband whispered for my simple meal, so our thoughtful words of thanks are a form of worship to our Father. He is glorified when our attitudes are content, when we rest in His provision, and when we vocalize our thanks.
Replace your complaints with testimonies of His goodness!
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