When I was in graduate school, an acquaintance of mine was stranded with no place to stay, so I offered to let her sleep on my sofa for several days. Yes, it would have been more hospitable to have given her the bed, but in retrospect, it’s probably just as well that I didn’t, because she might have stayed longer.
Carrie was not the ideal guest. In the first place, she had been sunburned and was now pulling off large pieces of skin and dropping them on the furniture and the living room rug. In the second place, she squirreled away bits of food in unlikely spots. I would find a partially drunk Coke on the shelf with the plates and cups, or half a milkshake among the cans of soup.
What I remember most vividly, however, was that she wasn’t satisfied with anything that I prepared for her to eat. “It’s not my favorite food,” was the refrain.
For example —
“Carrie, I’ve made tuna fish salad for lunch.”
“Well, it’s not my favorite food.”
“There’s omelette for supper.”
“It’s not my favorite food.”
— after which she would sit down and eat whatever it was.
In some ways – I’m ashamed to admit it – Carrie’s ingratitude as a guest reminds me of my own ingratitude toward God. Sitting here, surrounded by the blessings that have been poured on me, I still complain.
“I give you the bread of life,” says God.
“But I’m really in the mood for pizza today.”
“My loving mercy is always with you.”
“Actually, I’d rather not be in need of mercy.”
“I have given you life and intellect and good friends and fascinating work – not to mention the promise of resurrection.”
“That’s good of you, but what about adding [or taking away] _______?” [Fill in the blank according to the circumstance.]
So I pray:
Loving God, turn my ungrateful heart to you, so that I may rest in the deep knowledge that you yourself are the greatest gift and the most to be desired. Increase my love for you who are my life, my health, my peace, and my all, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.