The Good Stuff

Go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!

Unscrewing the top of the small jar, I sniffed its contents appreciatively. I’d received the sugar scrub from a friend several months earlier and had put it away, waiting for just the right occasion to use it. A quiet night at home with nothing planned seemed like the perfect opportunity.

But when I tried to scoop some of the contents into my palm, nothing came out. I frowned, realizing that my fingers had hit a rock-hard surface. The scrub I’d waited so long to try was now dried out and unusable. Disappointed, I set it aside.

A few years ago, a family member’s home burned down. Along with their dismay over the loss of their home and so many items tied to cherished memories was the regret that the “good stuff”—like the wine they’d saved for a special day—had burned along with everything else. With the benefit of hindsight, their advice was to stop waiting for a special occasion to arrive. Instead, they said, “Enjoy the good stuff.”

Whether it’s an item we receive as a gift, an object that is costly or hard to find, or something that feels too special to use, it can be a challenge to use up the good stuff. But you and I are not promised tomorrow, and when we see the things we’ve been given as opportunities to thank God for his blessings, our mindset changes. God wants us to enjoy what we’ve received.

Today is special too. Let’s celebrate it. Instead of waiting, let’s eat the good food. Let’s use up the sugar scrub. Let’s not hoard, ignore, or stow away special items for a day that never arrives. Instead, let’s take the time to enjoy them, share them with others, and thank God for the gift of today.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Use something you’ve been saving for a special occasion.