Thursday night I was again cleaning up the leaves on our property — in the dark because some psycho over one hundred years ago thought it would be a good idea to adjust our clocks every year for daylight savings time and we still do it yet today even though WE have electricity. Sorry… rant over.
Over the last few years I have gotten to be pretty proficient at fall leave cleanup and disposal out of necessity. As a matter of fact, there are people who do leaf cleanup — and then there is Steve McKnight! A superstar of leaf removal (at least in my own mind). Hey, there is a creative technique to handling a leaf blower. I have become an expert at using terrain and wind to my advantage as I wield a leaf blower with the same grace and skill as King Arthur plied Excalibur to unite Britain. In fact, as I artfully handled the tools of my trade of leaf blower, tractor and leaf vacuum system two people stopped in front of my house and actually asked for my autograph. Yes, I have become the admiration of many! Songs will be written about me! Give me another year or two and I will become a legend at Holiday Lakes! Yeah, you’re right, I know what you are thinking… these leaves might actually be driving me to the brink of insanity.
You know, even though I have mastered leaf removal that doesn’t mean that I am always happy when I am doing it. Thursday night, in the dark, I was actually quite grumpy about it. Stupid leaves. Must they take over a month to fall off all the trees? As I grumbled under my breath at this chore that I abhor, it suddenly occurred to me how ridiculous my complaining truly was as the Holy Spirit set the scene in my mind.
I was healthy enough to be sitting on my John Deere 1025r tractor pulling my powerful leaf vacuum trailer removing leaves from around my home and shop and on our almost 3 acres of land. Yes, I was doing the arduous task of cleaning up leaves, but the chore caused me to miss all of the blessings God has given me — health, tools, a home, land — not too mention family and a relationship with Christ. It occurred to me as I pondered my current reality that it is all too easy to miss the many blessings God gives us when we are mired in a circumstance that can cause us to be disheartened.
A Christian life ought to be a thankful life as we consider all that Christ has done for us. Always. The Apostle Paul wrote: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 Overflowing with thankfulness is the visual of pouring water into a cup until it is full, and then continuing to pour water into it as the water spills out over everything. Even something as silly as grumping about leaves can cause us to forget all that we ought to be grateful for in our lives.
So as we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday take some time to reflect on the many blessings God has gifted you. Make sure you express your gratitude to Him as an act of worship. As the Holy Spirit nudged me Thursday night in the midst of my grumbling, I admit that I felt rather foolish. For the rest of the time, I got my thoughts off the chore and on Christ… which is where out thoughts always ought to be. When our eyes are on Christ our circumstances are secondary.
O yeah, one more thing, two people didn’t REALLY stop in front of my house and ask for my autograph… it was only one.
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