Point 3: Before Our God
The book Pollyanna has both irritated and intrigued me. For those of you who don’t know the story, it is an American book written about a girl named Pollyanna who delights a rather depressed village with her “glad game” where she thinks of all the blessings that come from every day experiences and at moments the rest of us would be cursing under our breaths. The book has had such an effect on American culture that we even use the words Pollyanna and Pollyannaish to describe people who are just too happy and cheerful for their own good.
The book irritates me because I am a pessimist by nature. When I see a half-glass of water, I don’t think about whether the glass is half-empty or half-full. I wonder why it isn’t the coffee I ordered. By nature I expect for the worst, wait for the worst, and am disappointed when the worst doesn’t come. I can’t stand overly cheery people as a rule. I figure the only reason they can have a smile is that they are to dumb to know any better.
Yet, the book intrigues me as well. Perhaps it is simply out of jealousy. I want to have that heart. I believe that is what Pastor Nick’s point three was about. Not walking around with a goofy grin, but developing a heart and eyes that sees the world as God does. And because of those eyes walk in new obedience and service.
How does that happen? I can promise you it isn’t through games and wishful thinking, neither is it from grunting and straining as if trying to lift a truck by yourself. In fact, we have little to do with the process. The power comes from God who gives us faith, and the Holy Spirit which prompts us to express love through laboring and enduring. A personal by-product of labor and endurance is thankfulness.
I know I am wandering around a bit, but try and follow these rather disjointed thoughts. As I am typing this, something odd struck me, thankfulness is a by-product. I think so often we try to make thankfulness the goal in and of itself, rather than realizing that it is only a by-product of something far greater and more meaningful.
A car can’t run on exhaust fumes, it can only produce them. Thankfulness is something produced, but it is not the fuel that runs the car, and it certainly isn’t the reason the car was built in the first place.
Perhaps a key of being thankful is too stop trying to create thankfulness and run of thankfulness, but rather simply act in such a way that thankfulness becomes the natural exhaust of the engine.
Does that make any sense?
