Day 4: Grateful for the Common and the Amazing!
5Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. Jonah 4:5-6
What could be more common than a “leafy plant”? Jonah had delivered God’s message of judgment to people of Ninevah. Now, he waited to see how they would respond. In his heart, Jonah knew two things—he HATED the Ninevites, and God would spare them if they repented. Jonah didn’t want them to repent. He wanted God to destroy them! As Jonah waited, the heat was overwhelming, so God offered Jonah some respite from the heat by providing a leafy plant to grow up and shade the spot were Jonah sat and waited. We’re told that this plant “…eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.” Have you ever been grateful for something as common as a bit of shade on a hot day? I hope so. Actually, as we’ll talk about during these Forty Days of Gratitude, God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances—that includes the common, everyday blessings he provides. As we go about each day we would undoubtedly find hundreds of common blessings for which to give thanks if we just stopped to consider them. (One point worthy of note in the account of Jonah is that he was waiting to see what happened—he was just sitting there doing nothing. It was in this condition that he demonstrated gratitude for the simple gift of a leafy plant providing shade. Perhaps if we took the time to do nothing a little more, we would be more grateful!)
One of the things I find myself doing more and more of during my morning times of running and praying is looking around and thanking God for common blessings He provides. I usually run on “Rails to Trails,” and one of the common blessings God has provided there is small, compact stones on which to run. (You may be thinking, “Human beings put that stone there.” True, and human beings may have even crushed the stones to their current size, but God PROVIDED the stone in the first place. The small stones make for a much “softer” surface than running on roads. For that I’m grateful. Wherever you work, or study, or live and serve God has undoubtedly provided common blessings as well. For some it’s a particular blend of coffee. For others it’s a co-worker or classmate who is unknown to the world, but who treats you in ways that make you feel important. Common blessings are easily taken for granted, but as Jonah was soon to find out---when the leafy plant died—they can be taken away as easily as they are granted!
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
What common blessings do you enjoy? List at least ten of them below, and then take some time to thank God for providing each one!