Shaw"soup" Redemption

Today was a day of rest, medicine, and homemade chicken soup...for the soul of course. :) I had all the ingredients and made a delicious chicken soup and have been enjoying it and water most of the day. I have managed to get half of my book read, gone through half a box of kleenex, and topped it all off with a wonderful nap. I had some great background music going, my small fan humming, and my cats lazing in the sun. It would have been a gloriously relaxing day with the exception of the sneezing, coughing, and the headache, which is why I stayed home in the first place. :)

I read the following quote today by George Bernard Shaw: "This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

The line "feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances." Wow! That was a word picture that really caught my attention. Tag it with "complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy" and you have the answer to most of our culture's problems. We are selfish bunch, aren't we?

I would rather be like the first part of the quote, "a being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one." I like that. It reminds me of why I am a child of God. I am a being used by God for a purpose that I recognize as a mighty one. It is comforting to know that God loves me (us) enough to use us to complete His work on earth. I just need to remember to focus on the purpose of life, not the little "ailments and grievances."

The countdown to Indiana has begun. I leave on the 18th and will see my family that evening. To say that I am excited is an understatement. I have missed my Indiana family a lot and was not certain when I would be able to get back there for a visit. It's really comforting to know they are as excited to visit with me as I am with them. :) And that isn't even counting my Lindberg church family.... I have really missed them too. I get to worship with my grandkids, my daughter and SIL, my inlaws, my best friend -Judy and her son-Matt, and all my other co-workers from the christian school and all my church friends. Some of the best memories of my life have happened in that church building with all of those people. The only down side is the two people who will be missing. There will be a hole where the two of them should be and it can only be filled with their presence. But since that is not to be, we will have to be content with the memories of them.

Thank you, God, for all you have done. You have provided for my needs and the needs of my family and friends. You have given us all rest, food, and shelter. You have given us the love of family and the love of friends. We all have a need to feel wanted, loved, and valued; you wisely knew that when we serve others, we would fulfill that need. You also knew that friends have a way of saying things at just the right time to uplift spirits and encourage us when we most need it. Thank you for the special friends that seem to know what to say and when to say it. Amen.