Monday of Week 30 in Ordinary Time
Eph 4:32-5:8
Lk 13:10-17
And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
When we ride our bike without training wheels for the first time without falling…
When we make the gaming winning hit – or catch…
When we recover in time for a big event…
When we have just enough money to pay the bills…
When we receive a well-deserved promotion…
When we feel lonely or lost and a friend knocks at our door…
When we get the results of a negative test…
When we just have a perfect day…
When we feel totally loved, accepted, wanted…
When……
How many times a day does He lay his hands on us… and how many times a day do we at once stand up straight and glorify God?
I realize the phrase ‘she at once stood up’ is speaking of the woman’s physical healing; but perhaps it is deeper, is it not?
As I’ve gotten older, I know that I definitely thank Him during the day for little things, but do I at once stand up and glorify Him? Honestly, do I ever at once stand up and GLORIFY Him? My heart is heavy just thinking about that. It’s easy to ‘give Him less’, because He is God, and He knows my heart, how busy I am… and after all, He doesn’t ‘need’ anything from me.
If I replace me with my daughter, and God with me in that same scenario, I am deeply saddened by how easily I excuse myself from standing up at once and glorifying Him. If the phone rings and I see it is my 25 year old daughter, I am instantly happy… ‘she wants to talk to me’. If I give her a gift and I receive a thank you note in the mail, I am filled, she took time to write a note to ME….and I save the note. If she has a great day and calls to tell me about it, or invites me to join her for brunch or dinner (even if I end up paying!) I am ear to ear, deep down to my being, happy. I don’t love her more because of what she does, I simply love her because of who she is… and I am overcome with joy WHEN she does these little things that involve – that acknowledge — me.
I want to purposely at once stand up and glorify God more often. What will that look like? I guess it depends on the circumstance. I will ponder this in prayer — in how I can acknowledge His goodness and show my joyous heart of gratitude when He lays His hands on me, over and over and over again.
(Today’s Oxygen by Gina Ulicny)
Prayer: Father God, remind me to stop and acknowledge your constant goodness in my life throughout the days. I pray that I will look to You in all things and fall more and more in love with you every day.
Thanksgiving: Father in Heaven, thank you for laying your hands on me and enveloping me in your constant love that I am worthy of only because YOU HAVE CHOSEN ME.
OXYGEN 
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