It Is Good to Be Thankful: Appreciation makes the world a better place…
I am thankful for stuff—and by that I mean physical possessions. However, most of us would admit we have too much stuff. There is even an old song called Too Much Stuff. Too much stuff leads to clutter. Since I function best with an uncluttered life, I’m constantly trying to simplify and throw stuff out!
Being a writer, I love the word “stuff” because it has a bazillion meanings. People got lots of “stuff.” People strut their “stuff.” People know their “stuff.” People show their “stuff.” People pick their “stuff” up and put it away. People spread their “stuff” all around. Honored baseball pitchers have what is known as tremendous “stuff.” People buy “stuff.” People sell “stuff.” People “stuff” envelopes. At Christmas, we “stuff” stockings.
People have the “stuff” of greatness. Some people “stuff” their heads with knowledge. In fact, a little knowledge can be heady “stuff.” People “stuff” their faces. People “stuff” their pockets. People “stuff” their bags. People “stuff” their birds. Some people are “stuffed” shirts. People dish out “stuff” in conversations. Some people take that “stuff” from others and some people don’t. And all people go through “stuff” they don’t want to go through. “Stuff” happens.
At times, we all wish we had other people’s “stuff” instead of our own. People got lots of “stuff” and sometimes their “stuff” looks better than our “stuff.” Some of us carry around a lot of excess emotional and psychological “stuff” that weighs us down and prevents us from making the progress we’d like to make. Sometimes the “stuff” others are going through doesn’t seem as hard as the “stuff” we’re going through. But one thing is for sure. All people got “stuff” they have to put up with. No one goes through life without dealing with “stuff.”
God never promised us we wouldn’t have “stuff” to deal with or “stuff” to go through. However, He did say He wouldn’t give us more “stuff” than we could handle (1 Corinthians 10:113). He also said that we should be content with such “stuff” as we have for He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He promised to be our strength when bad “stuff” happens (Psalms 37:39). He tells us that those who trust in their “stuff” will fall, but those who trust in God won’t (Proverbs 11:28).
When people have God in their lives, they can take just about any old “stuff” this world throws at them. God helps us keep perspective when “stuff” happens. And only God has the right “stuff” to guide, protect, provide, strengthen, comfort, deliver, and help us on our daily journey with Him. With that in mind, all other “stuff” pales to insignificance.
*****
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord...” ~ Psalms 92:1 (KJV)
