Thanksgiving Idols

I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! Ours was a little sick.... the kids were still not feeling 100% and Chris woke up with the same cold feeling miserable. We agreed that he would try to sleep it off until it was time to leave for my parents house. As I began the morning I found myself starting to grumble and complain in my heart, even getting angry at Chris because he was sick. Yeah like he choose to be sick on Thanksgiving. The kids were not exactly on their best behavior either. In fact I think Trevor was on my leg crying "mama" and Taylor threw a tantrum all while I was tying to make my green bean casserole. I tried my usual just put on a happy face and not deal with the heart technique but like always it failed to work. At about 11:00 I got the kids settled with a Baby Einstein movie and retreated to the shower. It was there that I began to do the heart work. James 4:1 says that our conflicts are caused by the cravings that lie within. So I asked the question what is it that I'm craving... ok I desired a nice sit down family breakfast together. Which is a good thing right? Yes, but it shouldn't cause me to be angry and complain when It doesn't go as planned. I desired help thanksgiving morning so that I could peacefully make the side dishes I was taking to my moms. Again a reasonable request? Ok take out the peaceful part and it's not so bad. So I began to confess my sin to the Lord- the idols of comfort, having things go the way I want them to go. Confessing my anger and distrust in the Lord's goodness in it all. Then, after being humbled by God's gracious forgiveness over my sinful attitude I began to be thankful for the most important thing in my life. God's saving work done in my life through the power of the gospel. Later on I read this quote on Girl Talk and was impacted by Spurgeon's words

"The fear of a man who really knows the love and goodness of God, will be somewhat of this kind: He will fear lest he should really be, or should seem to be, ungrateful. 'What' he asks, 'can I do? I am drowned in mercy. It is not as though my ship were sailing in a sea of mercy; I have been so loaded with the favour of the Lord that my vessel has gone right down, and the ocean of God's love and mercy has rolled right over the masthead. What can I do O Lord? If thou had given me only a little mercy, I might have done something, in return, to express my gratitude. But oh! Thy great mercy in electing me, in redeeming me, in converting me, and in preserving me, and in all the goodness of thy providence toward me;--what can I do in return for all these favour? I feel struck dumb; and I am afraid, lest I should have a dumb heart as well as a dumb tongue; I fear lest I should grieve Thee by anything that looks like ingratitude."

Yes there is so much to be thankful for. I thank God for his kindness in not letting me stay in my sin but bringing about conviction, repentance and then pouring out his sweet forgiveness.