“Pleasures are shafts of glory as it strikes our sensibility…I have tried to make every pleasure into a channel of adoration. I don’t mean simply by giving thanks for it. One must of course give thanks, but I meant something different…Gratitude exclaims, very properly, ‘How good of God to give me this.’ Adoration says, ‘What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations are like this!’ One’s mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun…If this is Hedonism, it is also a somewhat arduous discipline. But it is worth some labour.”

C.S. Lewis

HT: C.J. Maheny

Photo credit: jschiller

1. You can pull your Father’s beard and he will cry.
2. Your Daddy will sometimes be too interested in the big game to listen to you.
3. Daddy is often interested in his own glory. Sadly, he’s very imperfect and so it’s evil that he wants that.
4. Your Daddy doesn’t always know what you’re thinking and feeling.
5. Your Daddy is balding, has a bad back, two bad shoulders, one bad attitude, all kinds of allergies. He’s frequently tired, stressed, and often thinks he isn’t up to the task.

Like almost everything, we can make some horrific inferences about God based on how dumb we are. Can you think of more?

1. Ignorance ought to yield to greater knowledge (especially omniscience).
2. Loving parents must do things their kids can’t possibly understand, even painful things (like discipline).
3. Loving discipline of true children (adopted or natural) should be corrective, restorative.
4. There’s no ache like a loving parent’s ache (in love and pain).
5. It’s a challenge to communicate with children who refuse to see anything but their own, selfish perspective.

Parenting is so helpful for understanding God’s perspective a little better. Can you add some more helpful inferences?

Note: This is not a picture of discipline, but of sheer goofiness (though I was pretending to throw them in a fountain).

I am thankful for the heaping truckloads of mercy in my life.

Tonight one of my elders prayed for me. He had stage four brain cancer, brain tumors, ten years ago. He’s still here and having a big impact on me, my family, and my community. He, along with the other elders who watch over my soul, are a gift of God in my life. These men hold me accountable, love me, and lead me. I am so thankful for that mercy.

God is giving me opportunities which amaze me in an area I love -writing. This is grace!

Though I would not honestly describe myself as robustly healthy, I am thankful that I am here, alive, and mostly well. My family is healthy. This is mercy.

When I consider what I deserve, and what has been given to me instead, I am overwhelmed by God’s kindness to me in Christ. Mercy.

Every good I have and every bad thing being worked into something good is from God for his own glory and my deepest joy.

Mercy. My favorite word.

I think cultivating a countercultural thankfulness to and joy in God is central to the authentic Christian life. Oh contentment, the white whale of our culture. Except we are usually not searching for it with any passion.

So here’s your chance out here in public with two or three other people reading. What are you grateful for?