So thankful

My cup runneth over...not literally because I would be terribly sad to have compromised coffee.  My figurative cup runneth over...

November is the month in which we celebrate thankfulness and the abundance of blessings in our lives.  I do hope that you don't just leaving the thankfulness for one month out of 12 because, friend, you are missing out if you do!!! 

This past weekend I've been reminded of all the wonderful blessings in my life...  

My Sunday school kids who love me because I'm their crazy Sunday school teacher.  Never mind the fact that I oftentimes take a break from the story to insert a way that the lesson applies to my life...or the many rabbit trails we go on.  Yesterday's lesson was about Martha being busy-busy-busy and Mary worshipping Jesus.  I like this story because for so much of my Christian life, I thought I had to do-do-DO all these things {Listing A....B....C....D...and so on and so forth} and if I did all these things, Jesus would love me more and would bless me more.  Wow - was I ever off the mark!!!  I wasn't even "aiming" at the right target.  Christ saved me not by any thing that I have done/did/will do.  I don't remain saved because I do-do-do things for Him.  I don't keep His love by doing more and more.  He loves me.  No strings attached.  I think it's hard for us to swallow - especially if we have been around "performance-based" love.  {I'm sure there's a technical name for this but I am not a therapist.} 

In the middle of story, one my girls raised her hand.  I called on her and she asked me, "How do you love a bully?  You know - someone who is really mean to you."  Immediately verse after verse came to mind...and I could've spouted them off like a fountain but would that have applied to this little gal's life?  I prayed silently and asked for wisdom and words.  The Lord gave and gave...  Instead of just throwing verses at her tender third grade heart...I told her about a bully in my younger years.  This classmate was un-beeee-lievable!!!  He was rude and crass and just down-right mean and nasty to me.  Even thinking about his name kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies.  I carefully explained that Jesus wants us to love our enemies and to pray for them.  I shared my journey to deal with this difficult individual and how eventually I went to the proper authorities (NOT the police...I was in 6th grade.  I went to the bus driver!  She was equally as law-enforcefulness as the police in my 6th grade mind!) and I was allowed to sit near the front of the bus while my tormentor sat in the back of the bus.  I encouraged her (and the class) to pray & love our enemies.

I love my Sunday school kids.  They know that they can come to me with anything and I will take the time - pause the story - and address this ....because bullying and meanies are a part of life.