I do my best thinking in the bathtub. I have always been a soaker that could lay in the water for hours, letting my mind wander. I remember even doing this as a child. I clearly recall being surrounded by bubbles and being sad to the point of tears that my 2nd grade teacher was retiring. I loudly sang "You are my Sunshine" in her honor. There was also the horrible news that my idol, Karen Carpenter, had died as a result of her eating disorder. I was so distraught that I had to reheat the water twice! (I might have been a weird kid.)
Even now, I do my best pondering in the tub. My dear friend Eileen lent me a book called "My Minivan is my Monastery". One of these days I'll give it back to her. There was a lovely devotional thing that the author did with a stone mortar and pestle bowl. I have adapted it to match my own life...I use an old whipped cream bowl (very fancy).
So here's what I do. While the water is still in my bathtub, I float the bowl in front of me. I add my "portion" to the bowl one handful at a time, thanking God for each scoop. "Thank you God, for the blessings of my kids"...a scoop for Jordan and his family, a scoop for Spence, a scoop for Isaac, for Lydia, for Harriett, for Simon, and one for Sylvia. "Thank you God for the gift of my marriage"...a scoop for Luke. Then I start adding the challenges that I will accept from Him this day (since we don't really have the option of saying NO, I'll accept what He sends me.) "Thank you God for my health problems"...a scoop for my heart...a scoop for my thyroid...a scoop for my emotional health. "Thank you God for my fears and the courage to overcome them"...a scoop for each thing preying on my mind that day. "God please bless my friends and those most in need of your mercy"...a scoop for the homeless...a scoop for the unvalued...a scoop for you.
Now I know this sounds like a lot of scoops. Pretty soon, "My cup (or plastic whipped cream tub) runneth over. It's easy to see how blessed you are when you fill your own cup with blessings. So this next part is one of the healthiest things I do for myself every time. (This part came straight from God, not the book.) As I am filling my dish with the portion God has given me, I let the water slowly drain away. When I see the water has all left the tub, and my dish with my portion in it is left alone, I thank God for all that is NOT my portion. "Thank you, God for all that I don't have on my plate. Thank you for allowing me to let go of that which is not mine to worry about or control." I just watch it go down the drain. Then I use my portion to rinse out the tub, and I ask my Maker to use my portion to make the world a brighter place.
I think I just figured out why I have such a hard time getting anywhere on time. Feel free to try this when you need a physical reminder of how blessed you are. If you don't have time for this whole process, (or don't keep your cool whip bowls near your bathtub) you could just ask God for this short blessing. "Lord, just like in the waters of my baptism, please cleanse me of my sin and all that keeps me far from you." You could even do that in the shower!
Spend a minute today to be thankful for the goodness and challenges in your life. I know it sounds odd to thank God for the crappy stuff, but that's the fertilizer that helps us grow. I'll pray for you, if you'll pray for me.
Blessings!
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