Praying For Eyes that "See"

When we can see all that is gift and promise we are naturally thankful. But sometimes we get spoiled and feel entitled to much ... then whatever we have is not enough to satisfy us. May we pray for eyes and hearts to "see" those things that bless us this week of Thanksgiving in America.

There is an old counseling joke:
"Two little boys were each given a key to a room. Johnny unlocked his room to find it filled with beautifully wrapped gifts. Jimmy unlocked his room to find it full of manure. An hour or two later Johnny had unwrapped all of his gifts and looked gloomy, "Is that all there is?" Little Jimmy was humming and ditching that manure, "There has to be a pony here somewhere, I just got to keep digging and looking."

Pretty crude, eh? I think I've loved that story for many reasons. I am an optimist...I admit it, but I can get down and not see my way out of things. When that happens I have a habit of looking and praying for "eyes" to see all my blessings. Sometimes it is a breath taking view as I'm driving along a road, a sunset with gorgeous colors, a baby's laugh or a song that brings back wonderful memories.

I'm digging deeply into the second chapter of Ephesians, and I am asking God for eyes to "see" the miracle of God choosing me for salvation. In the first verses Paul explains that I was DEAD...not wretched sinner, messed up, making mistakes...no, he says it's all that, but worse... I (we) was (were) DEAD. This blog is dedicated to focus of thriving as Christians. Well, getting from DEAD to living has to be the first step before we can thrive. As I said yesterday, Just give me Jesus...otherwise I'm the dead walking (according to the Bible; Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2).

I love Charles Spurgeon's writings...see what he says about Ephesians 2:
When I was coming to Christ [as a young man of 16] I thought I was doing it all myself. [But when I learned differently, when I learned that everything that happened to me was God's doing and God's gift] I felt that I had grown in a sudden from a babe into a man - that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God.

More on Ephesians 2 tomorrow....but today may we come alive in Christ and "see" all the riches and blessings God has for us in our lives now!!!