New and Improved

I have now enabled "anonymous" commenting for those unregistered amoratae who stumble on my insights.

Some other things could really use a "new and improved" makeover. I'm specifically thinking of my closets. Here in Memorial Dorm, we have some handy dandy closet space that was incredibly chic when it was installed... in the 1960s. The floor-to-ceiling rectangular storage space is a sleek grayish brown color and made entirely of durable and obstinate metal. I say durable because my closet has clearly taken a few bashes over the decades, and obstinate because the doors just don't glide the way I imagine they must have in prior generations. It's a challenge to not wake up my roommate in the mornings simply by opening my closet.

But you know what? I'm glad to have a closet. It's my own space and, cooler still, it holds my own clothes. What a blessing that I have my own clothes to wear, and a comfortable variety of them. Most of humanity can't make that claim. I'm also glad to have my computer, as tempermental as it can be. There are a lot of things I'm glad about.

A friend and I are studying Romans together, and something caught my eye in the first chapter yesterday. In the ungodliness of man, truth is suppressed. I've always shied away from Romans 1 because I can't understand its applicability in my life, but I'm grappling with that in two classes as well as this study. Without launching into soteriological interpretations, let me just point out that the wickedness outlined in 1:18-32 is pretty much expanding on the idea of suppressing truth, or better yet, Truth. Check this out! "although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts..."

Did the same thing that caught my attention catch yours? Let me just lay it out there: a lack of gratitude is a serious thing. They (I) did not glorify God as God, nor were they (or I) thankful.

Gratitude is a big deal, and you know why? Because it makes sense. The one true God of creation, eternally blessed, transcendent and imminent, has demonstrated His love toward us. The ramifications of that demonstration are carried out every day of our lives. The punishment for our shortcomings has been acted out once for all and we have all the rights of adoption as children of God.

As if all that isn't enough, God pours more and more love on us. He gives us power, love, and a sound mind with which to withstand the hardest things of life. He instills us with value, morality, and a capacity to learn and grow. His mercies are new every morning and sufficient for that day.

Thankfulness. If I could really get my mind and heart around it, how "new and improved" would I be?