Every Day

 

How many things that you do go seemingly unnoticed? I’m betting it’s a lot. Whether at work or at home—and sometimes those are the same—we all do so many repetitive things in an ordinary day that no one even sees them. No one says, “Hey, you cleaned that commode!” or “Look at this! The floor has been swept again.” There is no “Good job getting here on time and answering the phone,” no “Thanks for responding to all your emails.”

Sometimes we do things on a less-than-daily basis. We might expect those would be noticed. Still, I don’t hear, “I notice you wiped the toothpaste spatters off the mirror” or “I declare! The front door sure looks clean.” To tell the truth, I don’t expect to be praised for doing these things. It’s usually enough for me that I see and appreciate them. 

This week, as I was cleaning a door (not the front door) that had been irritating me for some time, I thought, No one but me will notice I’ve done this, but I will take pleasure in it. And then I realized, I have the same attitude toward the many, many blessings I get from God on a daily basis. I don’t wake up and say, “Wow! The sun has returned” or “My legs are still working!” I just go about my day enjoying this wonderful, ordinary life God has given me. I imagine that God takes pleasure in the wonders of his world and his own faithfulness even if we fail to notice.

I do realize that many of you express your thankfulness often for the glory of sunsets, the beauty of flowers, and the sweet families and friends you are surrounded by. I see your Facebook posts and I hear your conversation. Good job! Keep that up.

Psalm 107 says over and over “O that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men.” This passage names different groups of people who see—or have seen—God’s goodness: those who wandered in the wilderness, those who are in darkness of their own making, those who are fools, those who sail on the ocean. All of these people come to a low point in life and are motivated to call out for help, and God always helps them.

I don’t want to wait until I’m in trouble to call on God or to offer him praise for his goodness. I see God’s good work in my life every day, and every day is a good time to thank him for what he has done and for what he continues to do. Every day. 

--Sherry Poff