What Am I Forgetting?

You know the feeling - you're all finally loaded in the car for a trip to the pool, and you just have that sense that something's missing.

You rack your brain trying to figure it out, and when nothing comes, you eventually head off to your destination, hoping for the best. It's rather unsettling, isn't it? After all, it could be a major item — like a bathing suit!  It's the nature of a mom's busy life that our minds are always on overload, but it reminded me of a similar feeling I sometimes have in my relationship with the Lord.

At times I feel God's Spirit whispering to me, "Aren’t you forgetting something?"

We do that, don't we? We just go from day to day, perhaps even week to week, with our focus on the all-consuming tasks of family life. Or perhaps we're thinking about an area of life that's frustrating us, or is not quite the way we want it to be. And God, in His mercy, gently reminds us to get our eyes back on Him, and on the abundant blessings He has showered on us.

"What are you forgetting in all your busyness?" Or, worse yet, "What blessing are you missing in all your grumbling and complaining?" He asks.

The account of Jacob's wife, Leah (Genesis 29:31-35) is an example. She never felt her husband's love— in fact, he'd chosen her sister instead. Of course, this was a hurtful situation, but Leah allowed it to blind her to the love that God continually lavished on her. Leah had one son after another while her sister Rachel struggled with infertility. Meanwhile, Rachel didn’t appreciate the devotion of her husband, because her arms ached for a baby. Both sisters missed what they had, because they were looking elsewhere to be blessed.

The older I get, the more often I have the feeling that I'm forgetting something. But my prayer is that this question will prompt me to ask, “What am I missing, because I’ve allowed discontentment or ingratitude to rule in my heart?” I can only imagine how this must grieve the Lord who is constantly showering good gifts on His children.

Let’s not wait as long as Leah did, who after four sons were born to her, finally saw what she’d been missing and said,

“This time I will praise the LORD.” -Genesis 29:35