15 thoughts at once

I have a hard time slowing my mind down at the end of each day.  Once I get home from work, I am usually thinking about probably 15 different things at one time – and usually at the top of that list are the things that I DIDN’T do that day.

I should probably do some laundry soon…

I need to clean the bathroom…

I should’ve gone by the grocery store…

I never finished making those phone calls…

Last night I allowed myself to sit down on the couch for a few minutes where I continued my endless inner rantings:

What the HECK am I going to make for dinner tomorrow?

I wish I could take some classes right now…

I majored in the wrong thing…

Who majors in Kinesiology?

I can barely spell Kinesiology…

I need to take a shower…

I have to get up soooo early…

About this time my husband came and sat on the couch with me and we began to talk, all the while these thoughts still echoing around my head…

I didn’t go running today. 

GARRR why didn’t I go running??

I’d like to run to the fridge right now…

Our fridge is getting empty. 

I should go to the store…

Our conversation had ceased and now we were just sitting quietly with each other, all the while my thoughts still racing…

I miss camp…

I wonder if I’ll ever go back…

My back hurts. 

It always hurts. 

Why does my back always hurt??

I feel like I could be the spokeswoman for Advil. I use it enough…

I’m so tired…

I should have done more today…

“We have a really good life.”

My husband’s words brought my thoughts to a screeching halt.  We have a really good life.  I was immediately yanked out of the quicksand of my thoughts and pulled back into the present moment.  I mentally reviewed the things that had been flying through my mind and very quickly came to the conclusion that many of my thoughts had been laced with discontentment – about my jobs, about my education, about my time, about my day.

“We have a really good life.”

Simple words.  Words that immediately humbled me.

I thought about every blessing that God had poured into my life.  How he had given me immensely more than I would ever need.  My job, my home, my health, my husband, my family, my friends, my possessions, my food, my clothes, my education….everything is extra.  Everything is a gift.

And my salvation – how could I for a moment forget my salvation?  This is the real reason my life is good: God removed His wrath from me – someone who fully deserved it – and instead placed it on Christ.  His death and resurrection justified me before a holy God.   And now the righteousness of Christ is mine.  Jesus bridged the impossible gap between me and God.  That alone is reason enough to rejoice in every moment, in every day.

What could I possibly be discontented about?

All of these thoughts rushed through my head in the seconds after my husband first spoke those words – “We have a really good life.”  Thankfulness flooded over me.  Praise God for His patience with my selfish heart.

My thoughts began to dwindle until only one remained:

“Yeah,” I said.  “We really do.”