From Owe To Awe
By Beth Mabe Gianopulos
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV
A few weeks ago, I had one of those mornings. From the moment my alarm clock buzzed, I knew that it was going to be a bad day. I had tossed and turned all night because I was stressed about how to handle an issue at work. When my alarm went off, I hit snooze a few too many times.
When I finally jumped out of bed, I realized that my three kids were also not ready. Because we were already behind schedule, I started yelling for everyone to hurry. I rushed into the kitchen to grab coffee, but in my rush, I spilled coffee all over my shirt. I had to run back to my room to change clothes.
When we got into the car, I told the kids that we were going to be late. As we drove to school, I looked down at my legs and realized that I had on a black skirt, navy blue tights and black shoes.
I looked like a mismatched rainbow, and I had a presentation to give that morning. I did not have time to go home to change, and I knew that all day I would obsess about my uncoordinated outfit.
As I drove, my mood darkened. It did not take long for my mood to rub off on my kids. Soon they were arguing over whether we would listen to the radio or not, and they were fighting because one of the kids was kicking the seat.
As I sat in my car seething, I asked God, “Why can’t I just have a stress free morning? Why does everything have to be so hard?”
A few days later, when I reflected on the chaos of that morning, I realized that my negative attitude had not helped the situation. I wondered if I had not started the morning yelling and complaining, how would my children’s attitudes have changed?
I decided to use part of the drive to work and to school to talk to my kids about things that they were thankful for. I encouraged each child to list three specific things that they were thankful for that morning.
My kids were thankful for the simplest things – a warm car, a new insect that my son had caught, and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. As I listened to my children talk about the multitude of small miracles around them, I realized that I had been stuck with an attitude of entitlement.
I was frustrated because I felt like I deserved to have a stress free day at work. I was angry because I felt like God owed me something.
Yet, in that moment, I knew that God did not owe me anything. I remembered a Podcast that had discussed the difference changing one letter can make – by removing one letter, you can transform owe to awe.
I knew that I needed to spend less time focusing on what I believed I was owed, and I needed to spend more time in awe.
If I could be more like my children, I would see that the world is full of awe – a beautiful sunrise, a delicious breakfast, or a delicate butterfly were all enough to transform owe to awe.
In 2 Corinthians, we are reminded to thank God for his indescribable gift. When you are frustrated and tired, take a deep breath, and ask yourself how you can change owe to awe. By simply spending some time in awe, it may transform your day.
Jesus, Thank You for the blessings You have poured upon us. Help us stop focusing on what we think we are owed, and instead focus on the awe of creation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen..
© 2017 by Beth Mabe Gianopulos. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Tuesday, 19 September 2017.
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