Our Nothing vs. God’s Everything

Tami Urcia reminds us to count our blessings — even on days when we feel like doing nothing at all.

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like doing absolutely nothing? You stare at your computer screen or the full basket of laundry or your toolbox and you don’t move a single muscle. You have no motivation to do anything at all. You don’t want to talk to anyone or listen to anyone or go anywhere. Sitting on the couch and staring out the window sounds just fine … staying in bed, even better!   

We’ve all had those days — and I’m having one today, in fact. Nothing seems to be going right: not my kids’ attitudes, nor my husband’s health, nor my personal stamina. My patience is short, my to-do list is long, and I’m pretty sure it’s not my calling to cheer anyone up today. It is taking all my willpower to just BE. To just be where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be there, putting one foot in front of the other. 

Turning negativity into gratitude  

Friends, on the one hand, I don’t think it’s altogether a bad thing to have days like this. It slows us down, forces us to focus on the essential and gives us a chance to be thankful for better days (like vacations! Yeah, I think I need one of those …). And if we are able to do so in the moment, it also provides us with an opportunity to realize just how weak we are and just how much we rely on God’s grace to uphold us for absolutely everything.   

While we’re staring at that computer screen, we can thank God for the technology that makes our work easier. While we’re staring at that basket full of laundry, we can thank God that we have clothes to put on our backs. And while we’re staring at that toolbox, we can thank God for the strength and ability to fix whatever needs fixing. As 1 Corinthians 3 tells us, let us not deceive ourselves, thinking any of it is our own doing. It is all gift. And it all comes from the Giver of all gifts.  

Realigning our hearts with God’s Word  

Psalm 24 proclaims:  

The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it on the seas, established it over the rivers. ...
He will receive blessings from the Lord, and justice from his saving God. (Psalm 24: 1-2, 5)  

If we allow them to, these words can realign our hearts. They put us in our place, reminding us that God is the Creator and we are the created. But they also remind us just how much He wants to bless us, as is evident in the story of the miraculous catch of fish in the Gospels (see Luke 5). Just as the disciples caught so many fish that their nets were bursting, so can our hearts burst with joy at all the blessings our God has given us, even on those days when we feel like doing nothing at all.  

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Copyright 2024 Tami Urcia
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