A little food for weekend thought--
The annual pilgrimage to the NC State Fair did not disappoint, though, as my husband says, "You're always so happy to arrive...and equally happy to leave." Lots of people, lots of smells, lots of lines, lots of food...lots and lots and lots of food. I have discovered, with great relief, that we are not the only folks who eat our way through the fair...well, eat along with some exhibits thrown in for good measure.
I could go on and on about the fair, as we do love it. After all, what's not to love? It arrives in surely God's best month--October: The air takes on that refreshing coolness; the leaves begin to display their vibrant and best attire; Thanksgiving (hands down my favorite holiday) is right around the corner; the early morning stars shine especially brightly; squirrels busily gather up acorns, and Mr. Bingley happily races after the squirrels; pumpkin-flavored anything and everything is on the menu everywhere (Hallelujah--right there with chocolate as God's best culinary creation!); and our family (or as many of us as we can garner) happily trek to the fair. Oh my, how I love the fall and the fair and the food...especially the food.
Thank You, Lord, for Your creation of the seasons. Thank You for variety and beauty and smells and sights. Thank You for eyes to see Your glory all around us. Thank You for our senses that we might see and smell and touch and hear and taste. And thank You for the gift of prayer that we might come to You, the Giver of all good gifts, and simply say thank You.
When we taste wonderful fall food, when we savor beautiful fall creation, when we enjoy sweet fall fellowship, our first impulse should be one of overwhelming gratitude to the One who has provided us with this rich, wondrous bounty. After all, He crafted the pumpkin...for our pleasure, for His glory. Thank You, Abba.
And that's the beginning of all prayer--worship and gratitude to our Heavenly Father, our Abba, our Daddy. We have the Creator and Sustainer of all this goodness, and we can go to Him at any and every moment to say "Thank You!" And "Please help!" And "Please forgive." And "Please guide." And "Please encourage...empower...enable." The Almighty God of the universe actually wants to hear whatever is on our hearts and minds. Amazing. How can we not go to Him in prayer and thanksgiving?
I loved these words from John Piper on prayer (and food)--
"It is as though God has a favorite food. When we pray, he smells the aroma from the kitchen as you prepare his special dish. When God hungers for some special satisfaction, he seeks out a prayer to answer. Our prayer is the sweet aroma from the kitchen ascending into the King's chambers making him hungry for the meal. But the actual enjoyment of the meal is his own glorious work in answering our prayer. The food of God is to answer our prayers. The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it reveals a God who satisfies his appetite for joy by answering prayers. He has no deficiency in Himself that He needs to fill up, so He gets His satisfaction by magnifying the glory of His riches by filling up the deficiencies of people who pray.”
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil.4:6)
"Pray continually" (I Thess.5:17)
So today, let's pray. Talk to our Heavenly Daddy. Worship our Heavenly Daddy. Thank our Heavenly Daddy. Because He is soooo good and infinitely worthy.
To God be the glory.
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