kisses and a wet nose. a call to worship...

How often do you thank God for "small" things?

Saturday morning when I woke up I was greeted
with a long, pink, wet tongue on my face
and a cold, wet nose burrowed in my neck.

No...not Sweet Husband...
it was Jonah, our 70 pound Lab
(he's put on a few since getting the snip-snip).


Jonah was ready to get up and visit the outdoors.
So...I reluctantly pushed off the covers and
acquiesced to his persistence.


When we came back inside
we ventured into the living room 
where I spend time with God each morning
and Jonah gets a little more shut-eye beside me on the couch.


As I began to pray
I became aware of how rarely
I thank God for the "small" things...
like how sweet it is to have a precious pet.


Sweet Husband and I love Jonah 
and he brings lots of pleasure to our lives
even though he's...just a dog.


So...I proceeded to thank God
for creating animals, Jonah in particular...
and for the abilities to enjoy other simple pleasures
like knitting, playing the piano, tasting food,
and for all the senses he created me with...
with which I enjoy his creation.


But, I couldn't stop there...
because although God, in his kindness,
gives me simple pleasures to enjoy,
they are rooted and born from the
true pleasure of treasuring him!


Everything...all gifts and pleasures
are given to direct my heart, mind and soul
to praise God,
to thank God,
to delight in God...
and because of Christ's redeeming work on the cross
I am free to worship him with complete abandon!


Here is a quote I read in God is the Gospel by John Piper...

he says it better than I ever could.

"They (the gifts of God, the rewards of God, the miracles

of God) have come for one great reason:

that you might behold forever the glory of God in Christ,

and by beholding become the kind of person who

delights in God above all things,

and by delighting display his supreme beauty and worth

with ever-increasing brightness and bliss forever."

"For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever.  Amen."   Romans 11:36

As my time of worship came to a close Saturday morning
the Holy Spirit brought this song to mind.
Give it a listen and as you do
thank God for all his gifts to you...
and be drawn to worship their Creator
for he alone is worthy!