Frustration was written all over my son’s face. From his red face to the tears in his eyes, I knew nothing I said was making any sense to him. I watched my son try over and over again to shove his high chair into the kitchen counter. He wanted to have his own chair to sit at. He didn’t understand why the chair was not pushing easily under the counter. In his mind, everything made sense to proceed forward. Maybe if he shoved one more time into the counter, the chair would “happen” to fall into place.
Thankfully God gave me the grace and kindness to see this situation through His eyes. My son’s frustration as a light into my own frustration as an adult.
I saw myself in my son’s tears and scrunched up face. “God, why can’t I figure this out? Why is this so difficult?” Yes, his situation seemed little to me, but in his eyes, this was huge. A very tall and rocky mountain had formed. He couldn’t see around the large obstacle right in front of him. Everything in that moment, to my son, looked like he was doing all of the things that he was supposed to do.
At a loss, my husband offered a distraction, time in the playroom. I quickly seconded this option, whispering to my son all the wonderful things he could do in the playroom like painting and gluing. My son, unsure at first, became intrigued with this playroom idea. He eventually disregarded the high chair in general and screamed in delight running towards the playroom.
Whew, thankfully a major meltdown was narrowly missed.
Ultimately a better distraction came, removing the high chair mountain in my son’s mind. He took my husband’s hand and was led up the stairs to the playroom where lots of fun was to be had. My son trusted this better option.
But through God’s eyes, I saw my own situation. Thoughts I couldn’t escape continued to beat their way through my head. As I looked for my own distractions—meditating on God’s word, praying through the situation, thinking of the upcoming holidays—my mind continued to return to my own high chair situation. I wasn’t welcoming the distraction of new opportunities because I couldn’t let go of my own high chair like my son readily did. I was not trusting God’s grace in my own life. Therefore I was not humbling myself before God when things didn’t go my way.
“Truly I tell you,” [Jesus] said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4
Paige Brown states child-like faith is not childish faith. My son fully trusted the better option. Instead of staying stuck on the high chair, he trusted and moved on to something better. He didn’t know it, but he humbled his own position in order to follow a more wise option.
Thanksgiving is a healthy distraction and a humbling mindset.
When anxious thoughts flood our minds, Paul tells us to form these thoughts into prayers and petitions. Present these requests to God. But the key here is “with thanksgiving.” Always giving thanks. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Paul starts many of his letters (maybe all, I haven’t confirmed this) with giving thanks to God for the people to which he is writing. He is thankful to remember them. And he is “praying with joy” for all of his brothers and sisters in Christ (Philippians 1:4).
A grateful November means keeping our minds and hearts on thanksgiving is key to mental sanity. Praying a laundry list of all the “things” God has given me doesn’t quite do the giving of thanks justice.
As a writer friend Katie Kibbe wrote, you not only thank God but you also state why you are thankful. The why triggers your brain to hold fast to the memory. She states, “Context is the glue for positivity…Eventually the gratitude part of your brain will grow and being grateful will become your mental habit.”
With Thanksgiving this month, we can focus on the people in our life that God has blessed us with. Thank God for their part in your life. Give thanks to God for the light they bring to your life. Tell God why you are so grateful for them. Ask God to show you how you can thank them for who they have been in your life. Giving thanks to God renews our mind so that we become more Christlike.
A high chair can distract us from giving thanks or thanksgiving can distract us from the high chairs. You can make a choice which you prefer to focus on this November.
David’s Prayer of Gratitude
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.
Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord God, became their God.
And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’
Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.
2 Samuel 7:18-29
