Living out our "thank you"...

This past week Rachel and I took Elias and Jael to a pizza place which had a big indoor play area. The play area had slides, video games, a merry-go-round and a maze filled with tubes (like you'd see at a McDonalds or other fast food restaurants) but only so much bigger. In addition it had a big netted pit filled with little balls that kids could jump in and play in. Needless to say, we didn't spend a lot of time eating! As soon as Elias was done with his pizza he was ready to go and play. So we got everything cleaned up and entered the chaos. There were easily 35-40 children in there running, playing, and screaming. Elias didn't waste any time and went sprinting to the pit of balls and jumped right in. Then he went to the maze, then down the slide, then back to the pit, then back to the maze...you get the point. Jael didn't waste any time either. She went right to the merry-go-round, then to a smaller slide, then to the maze, then down the big slide (hilarious...), then to the pit, then to the merry-go-round again. It was so much fun watching them just play and enjoy this enormous play room. We probably spent nearly 45 minutes there. Rachel and I had so much fun just watching our children play and enjoy where we had taken them. As I was driving home that night an interesting thought came to my mind. I told Rachel that I didn't even care if Elias and Jael didn't verbally say "thank you" to us for taking them there. For me, watching them have so much fun and enjoying where we had taken them was all the "thank you" I needed. I wonder if that thought was a glimpse of God's perspective (that seems to happen to me a lot now that I have children). I wonder if the best "thank you" to God is simply living life to the full. Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." That's what my heart yearns for, to live life to the full the way Jesus did. To enjoy living into His kingdom here on this earth as an expression of my gratitude for His glory, goodness, and mercy. What better "thank you" is there!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters), in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Blessings!

Clint