By Melody Vanosdol
Several years ago, shortly before Christmas, my mom had knee replacement surgery. She gave us money and asked us to go buy our presents and bring them to her to wrap with instructions to act surprised on Christmas.
One of the things I picked up was a set of 1800 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. I didn’t even know sheets were made with that high of a thread count!
Christmas evening I washed and dried them. I wasn’t about to sleep on my old sheets now that I’d waited and acted surprised! I slipped into bed that night and satin felt rough by comparison. As I lay there more comfortable than I could ever remember being in my life (the mattress has been purchased earlier that year too), it occurred to me that literally billions of people would never sleep as comfortable one night as I got to sleep every single night. And I cried.
I cried and apologized to God for every complaint I had ever leveled against my house or how much work it needed. It was mine. He gave it to me. And I was more comfortable every single day than billions of people would ever be for just one day. I felt like the most ungrateful child in the world. But that phase of my life was over right then and there.
Since then I’ve trusted Him with things that seemed insurmountable, and never once has He failed me. I have no reason to believe He ever will.
With a simple set of $20 sheets picked up on a whim, God taught me how ungrateful I had been.
May God bless you and keep you. I pray you get at least one gift for Christmas that money cannot buy. Furthermore, I pray you see and realize that true value of that gift.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. … for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalm 50:23)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
