Gratitude

I was driving to the store this morning with Atticus in the back seat. Now, Atticus has had an ultra-ego in the car lately. It's like we literally flip a switch when we put him into his car seat, and he starts begging and whining for everything he sees... a cup, a CD, a book, anything really. So after my normal "Mommy is driving, and I won't be getting anything else for you" speech, I started to tune out the noise coming from the back seat. Just as I was about to scold him for whining, I realized he was looking around, swaying from side to side, and singing along with the music...worship music to God.


(Lyrics:
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
Then what could stand against.)



I can't begin to put into words the feelings that welled up inside of me. Tears rolled down my cheeks (as they are now as I write this)... It took me a minute to recognize the feeling taking over me... it was a deep sense of gratitude and humility. I could do nothing but thank God through my tears for this overwhelming joy that I was feeling.

The list of things that I'm deeply grateful for is long, but today I feel strangely grateful for my freedom. This may seem unrelated, but my first thought as I heard Atticus singing along to worship music was just how thankful I am that Jesus died for him. And that he's given a chance to live a ridiculously full life serving Christ, and having to do nothing for it... and then it came over me that he gets to hear about Jesus in so many situations. And how much easier it is for me to share God's love with him when it's played on the radio, when we get to go to an awesome church, when I get to meet with a friend in Panera and talk about our Bible study while he eats breakfast...there are countless occasions.

Now those of you know know me well, know that I am not a patriotic person. I'm not political, and I'm not patriotic. I don't believe that America is a sacred place, just, for now, a relatively safe place. (Still not my eternal home!) Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful that I live in a country full of freedoms... but I have always attributed that to God's sovereignty and grace on me. I believe whole-heartedly in James 1:17 ("Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows."). But today, in addition to God's grace on me, I felt a new gratitude for those who have fought to secure this freedom Christ has given me.

So, today I guess I feel 'patriotic'.
I am so thankful to the individuals who have given their time, their quality of life, and some, their earthly lives, so that my son can sit in the back seat and sing to Jesus.

Thank you will never be enough.