Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

There truly is no greater love than the love that God has for us. We may feel neglected or overlooked by those around us but we can rest assured that we are never an afterthought to God. His love, grace, and mercy are benefits ready and waiting for us every day.

It's amazing how our troubles and worries can rapidly consume our thoughts. At times, they gain so much of our attention that giving God reverence begins to take a back seat. It's during such troubling times that we have to remind ourselves that God is and will always be in control. 

We're approaching a season where plenty of adults have been lecturing children about being naughty or nice. When I was younger, whether I misbehaved or not, there was still a guaranteed gift under the tree for me. As an adult reflecting on that, it shows how much my parents loved and thought of me, even if I frustrated them with naughtiness. As a person of faith, receiving gifts that I did nothing to earn compel me to want to draw closer to the God that continues to pour them out. Drawing closer to him is exactly what God desires of us. 

 By nature, people tend to be equally curious and suspicious. When we've learned not to expect anything without strings, then it makes God's grace toward us a perplexing thing. As perplexing as it may be, it's also so amazing because it reveals his love for his creation. All we have to do is accept the gift.

If you ever placed an order for anything, then you've endured the waiting experience. Some handle it with grace. For many, our patience tends to evaporate with a surprising amount of speed the longer we have to wait. But the same way we wait with expectation for the delivery of our order, we should have that same air of expectation when we are waiting for God. For sure, he will always be on time. That's what we need to remind ourselves of while we wait. Delivery of what we are waiting for is guaranteed. 

Blessings and curses live on the tips of our tongues. They can be awfully difficult to tame. Yet, we should make it our goal each day. Rather than trade evil for evil, practice saying one kind thing to others and yourself. This is one area where practice definitely puts you on a path toward perfect.

In my profession, we're taught that we should listen to understand, not to respond. Even though it's our nature to be quick with a reply, thinking before we speak can go a long way to being clear when we finally do open our mouths. The same with our prayer time. Rather than ramble off a few words, slap an amen at the end and then hop off to business as usual, it's just as important to spend time waiting to hear from God. That's a conversation. Give and take.