Stop with The Gripes and Be Grateful!

Do you and your husband ride home from church and tell Siri ‘ Play Complaints' for the day of worship? When in fact we should be singing “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow”! 

Our church is not filled with perfect people, including us. This position  might lend to gripes and complaints, yet let us remember God has given us a special role in His kingdom!  A role we should count as blessings, and be grateful.

In our congregation, we’ve experienced people that have fallen through the cracks in other places, only to then hear their stories of how God has brought them to our congregation. We should rejoice over knowing  they feel like they are a valued part of a church family. 

As minister’s wives we get to hear their stories. It’s a blessing when they open up to us, and reveal dealing with being lonely, broken, hurt, and then share what God has done for them to turn this around! This sharing gives us a front row seat to see God moving and working in people. How can we not be filled with joy and love? A love that can only come from God. 

So, when we feel the gripe train coming, stop it, and remember the faces in your church family. Remember their tender heart that shares a story of God loving them. Yes, we have a special spot in our congregation. We have a perspective no one else has. We have experiences no one else has had. We have talents God gives us that no one else has. Be grateful!

If you can power wash graffiti off a brick wall, do it. If you can make fancy cupcakes, do it. If you can hug someone that needs it, but no one else knows, do it.

(Okay, I can do two of these. You figure out which two).

Let’s use our special powers for the good of God’s kingdom! Pray to God to help you recognize what you have and how you can use it every week. Remember, we are a unique vessel to take in blessings from God like no one else. Use what you have been given to bless others.

Susan Monan, Pinnacle Church of Christ, michmonan@sbcglobal.net