We are now in my favorite time of the year. I love the warm sweaters, the Christmas music and lights, the childhood classic movies that I watch on repeat, and the smell of warm apple pie in the oven. Nothing quite spells the spirit of thankfulness for me like going into a warm house and smelling Momaw's homeade apple pie on the counter. I loved it and the feeling that surrounded it so much that I asked her to teach me the recipe. I wanted to know the in's and out's of the made-from-scratch pie crust, the cinnamon sugar topping, and picking the perfect apples. Now I know how to make it and it is a treasured recipe of mine. When making it, I first pick my apples.
Last month, I was shopping at Goodwill when this cute little sign caught my eye. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of Proverbs 25:11: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." A very poetic verse, with a play on imagery and figurative writing. In this verse, an apple is used to represent a word fitly spoken, and how, like gold, it stands out amongst the silver background. It is noticeable. A word spoken at the right time is felt at the core of those who need it most. Words have an effect on people. I realized this the other day at work. We had a bigger event planned for a particular day, and to be honest, I wasn't over the moon about it. You see, I am not much of a talker and anytime an event has the potential for me to have to talk for extended periods of time, I get nervous. You have to catch me before my word count expires for that day or else I'm not much of a conversation starter LOL. Anyway, this spirit of fear ruins any kind of thankfulness I should have. I end of up dreading what others are looking forward to. I became aware of this while waiting in line for food. I was just wanting to get in and get out and was wishing that the line was moving quicker when I heard someone say, "This is an answer to my prayer that I have been praying for a while." I heard that, and I was immediately convicted. Someone had prayed for a close work family that could share in this special event, and here I was complaining in my spirit because her prayer had been answered. Some people maybe don't have good work environments, or homes, or finances, and friends, or are missing someone this Thanksgiving and so they prayed for unity and closeness amongst what they do have: Co-workers.
At the time of my unthankful spirit rising up within me, I had no clue that my complaint was another person's answer to prayer. But do we ever really know? I was immediately struck with the thought that my words were so important, and that I did not want my negativity to take away the joy of her answered prayer. My bad attitude that I could have shown through my words (the apple) would have spoiled the thankfulness (the pie) she was experiencing. It reminds me of Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" and 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." We are to rejoice when others get their prayers answered even when we don't feel like rejoicing, and we are 100% responsible for what we say in response to their joy. Easier said than done, I know. Sadly, in the past, I have become angry at someone else's answered prayer because I was jealous that it wasn't my own. One time, I had literally just finished an intense prayer and felt God's peace in a matter that was really bothering me. However, as soon as I was finished praying and turned on my phone, I saw that my EXACT prayer was answered... yet for someone else. I was hurt, angry, and jealous, and my words and spirit reflected that. I wasn't thankful, I wasn't kind, nor was I planning to "rejoice" with someone over their answered prayer. Yet, that's just it. At the core, I was a rotten apple. Anytime I feel like things were going downhill in a jet (it's going down real fast :), I would instantly become negative and depressed and because I felt this way, well... "misery loves company." Yet, just because I had set up camp in the land of negativity did not mean that everyone had to join me there. I tried to drag them there with me with my attitude and my words, and I was so graciously called out by someone I love with all my heart. This person called me out for my "unChristian-like" behavior and responded to my negativity with patience, grace, and sternness. This also contributed to me learning the great importance of a word fitly spoken.
Remember when I said my natural inclination was to pick the apple on the right? Yep, it sounds crazy, but I am not lying. Although I would not pick it for making pies, my spirit so often picks it in life. Yet, life is all about choices, and just like I pick my apples for my pie, I can "pick" the "apples" for my life. I can choose to be thankful and to let my words reflect the joy of thankfulness for someone else's prayer being answered. Life is hard enough and we don't need negativity from the ones who know better to be the ones that are serving it up. So, from now on, I'll pick my apples carefully.
Before I go, I would like to leave you with this story the next time you're inclined to feel ungrateful. I was reading in Kimberly Collingsworth's book called "His Gift, My Story," and she included this story about Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy. I will share the excerpt here:
"[Corrie and Betsy] were thrown into a European concentration camp during WWII as punishment for hiding Jews in their home. Corrie prayed for ways to share her faith even while being held in the most deplorable bunker, crawling with bedbugs. One day while meditating on the verse...from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Betsy pointed out to Corrie that perhaps she should give thanks for the bedbugs. 'After all,' she stated, 'the verse says 'In everything give thanks.' But as Corrie sat scratching the sores on her body she said aloud, 'I cannot thank God for this!' Reluctantly, at the prompting of her sister, Corrie thanked God 'even for the bedbugs,' and tried to make the best of their situation. Soon after, God opened the door for her to evangelize to many women who were housed in that miserable place. They held Bible studies freely as the guards rarely came inside. One afternoon, when a couple guards came into the bunker to retrieve a dead body, Corrie overheard them discussing why they never entered this bunker. It was simple- they couldn't abide the bedbugs!"
Next time, let's think and thank before we complain :)
"A Better Yes" -Travis Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVmSBhlrVPw&list=RDWVmSBhlrVPw&start_radio=1
"In Everything Give Thanks"- Charlotte Ritchie, Jeff and Sheri Easter (my childhood😍)
