Maybe I'm just not meant to have cologne. That thought crossed my mind this morning in a moment of frustration and self pity. Not too long ago my wife bought me a bottle of my favorite cologne before we went on trip to visit our grandson. Evidently I left it in the cabin we rented. I went without for a while. Recently she bought me another bottle. This morning I woke and stumbled my way to the bathroom. As I turned to leave I somehow hit the bottle of cologne and knocked it from the counter to the floor where it immediately burst. I picked up the broken glass and wiped up the contents of fragrance from the floor. It came then, the thought of self pity and defeat. Later, after she had gotten up and realized what happened, Leah said, "You broke your cologne. I'll have to get you some more." Simple as that. No defeat. No condemnation or criticizing.
It struck me that sometimes we react that way about the blessings of God. God gives us something sweet, fragrant and wonderful, and before the new even wears off we've forgotten it, or broken it, or someone or something has stolen it from us. We wallow in self-pity and defeat and react with an attitude that says I guess we weren't supposed to have good things from God, or God doesn't really want us to have that blessing or maybe the loss serves as proof that we don't deserve the blessing in the first place. It's ridiculous. First we don't deserve the blessing of God. That's why is a blessing of God and not payment from God. Secondly, it's His desire that are lives are overflowing with good things from Him. Everything within us and outside of us that is not of God is constantly contrary to that, trying to spill the cologne God gives to enhance our life. Rather than giving up and doing without due to self-pity, let us quickly turn to God and hear Him say, "You broke what I gave you," or "Someone stole what I meant you to have." That is followed by, "Come to me so that I can give you more." He has plenty to give. No matter how much He has blessed us or how much we have lost or destroyed, we haven't come close to exhausting His supply.
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