Raspberry Iced Tea

When the glass came away from his mouth I thought he might projectile vomit across the kitchen

Psalm 99:1-9

Reference: v.3 Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: Both my sisters are great at giving gifts. Upon returning from an overseas holiday, my sister, Ruth, brought the whole family back presents.

While this was unnecessary it was clear that she had put a lot of thought into the gifts she choose. I was very pleased with a cute little handbag she had bought for me, however, my husband was a little intrigued with his specially chosen gift.

Presented beautifully in a round floral container, Ruth presented him with some powdered raspberry iced tea. This was not something we would get in Australia and, while raspberry was a good choice for Cam, he was not so sure about the ‘tea’ element.

Not to be deterred by the floral container, Cam opened his present to have a taste. Following the instructions to make the correct measurements, he hesitated before taking the first sip.

When the glass came away from his mouth I thought he might projectile vomit across the kitchen… but instead he gave a huge smile and went straight back for a second taste.

Every night, until the container was finished, Cam would stand at the kitchen bench mixing up his concoction of raspberry iced tea. And, without fail, after every glass, he would proclaim loudly, “Thanks Ruth!”

Ruth did not live with us, in fact she lived on the other side of the city, but Cam would still audibly express his thanks to her after every glass.

Application: Ruth’s gift was certainly thoughtful and generous, and it was cute for Cam to show so much appreciation. But it got me thinking of how thoughtful I am.

If someone does something for me I will certainly show my gratitude once, but I don’t live with a constant thankful disposition. Every single glass of raspberry iced tea was met with appreciation, and while it was a very nice drink, how much more does God give to us every single day?

We cannot go one hour without receiving from God, and yet, how grateful are we to our Creator? God gives to us unconditionally, but I can guarantee that if we lived with a more thankful disposition then our faith in God would grow and we would have a more positive view of our day.

Prayer: Lord, one short prayer would not do justice to sum up my thanks to You. May my whole day be filled with thanks and praise to You. Amen.

What are you thankful to God for?

generous, gifts, giving, praise, presents, Psalm, thanks