Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Something to Crow About

Why do roosters crow? Well, there’s a variety of reasons, but generally they do their wake-up call just before sunrise because of their God-given instinct to sound their alarm clock. Roosters will also crow whenever they feel like it because crowing is simply their way of expressing themselves. Since they don’t have vocal cords, they can crow all day for no reason at all and not get hoarse or lose their “voice.“ Basically, roosters crow because they can.

During this season of thanksgiving, I am absolutely not going to let a rooster outdo me. I’ve got something to crow about too, and so do all believers. There’s a variety of reasons why we should praise the Lord and thank Him for all He’s done. “Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1 NLT.) When life gets bad, God remains good. And His faithfulness remains great and steadfast even in today’s chaotic world.

It’s right to thank God for material things such as a roof over our head, food on the table, and shoes on our feet. But let’s be sure to thank Him for spiritual things as well: “May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, Who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:11-14 NLT.)

Andrae Crouch may have captured the grateful heart of every believer when he composed the lyrics and music for ‘My Tribute:’ “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me — Things so undeserved, yet You give to prove Your love for me? The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.”

In Psalm 116, King David asked the rhetorical question, “What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me?” His answer was to praise the Lord’s name. Believers can bring praise, honor, and glory to God by representing Him well in everything we say and do. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17 NKJV.) If what we do doesn’t match up with what we say, then we probably shouldn’t crow quite so loud.

Let’s remember to thank and praise God every day, not just at Thanksgiving time. Roosters crow because they can’t help it. (I wonder if anyone has ever tried to muzzle a rooster.) We should praise and thank God because we simply can’t help it. During Jesus’ triumphal entry, some of the Pharisees among the crowd told Him to rebuke His followers for their praises. “But He [Jesus] said, ’If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise’” (Luke 19:40 MSG.)

God has done so many wonderful things for me, I want to praise and thank Him with all my being.

The Key: I don’t want any roosters or rocks doing my job!

“No one who loves as much gets as little.”

I recently found that scribbled on the bottom of an old newspaper clipping. The words, of course, refer to Jesus, and if Jesus doesn’t get the kind of love he deserves, why do I think that I am entitled to the kind of love that makes me happy?

Last night, some of us married folks were discussing Gary Chapman’s book “The 5 Love Languages” which challenges readers to find out what their mate’s “love language” is.

Dave and I found out early on that we were missing this understanding in our marriage when he asked me if I loved him and I answered that he should know I love him because I make him tacos every single day…even when I am in the mood for a tuna noodle casserole.  I still make tacos.  That should prove I love him.

“I don’t care about food,” he said.  “I eat to live.  What I want is affection.”

Say what?????  Who wants affection over food?  Does that include turtle cheesecake?

Clearly, I had much to learn about my man.

This year, Dave and I celebrated our 51^st wedding anniversary.  If I have learned one thing (other than I needed to be more loving), it is to be thankful for my man.  Occasionally, I write funny stories about Dave and me. (Trust me, most do not get written.) What surprises some of my readers is that Dave typically helps me write them.  I love that (and many other things) about him. Still, ours has not been a perfect marriage, and although we have found humor in many of our disagreements, there have been some tough times.

Many marital situations are not funny.  Arguments. Divorce.  Financial loss.  Death.  Being thankful in the midst of such circumstances—while seeking to find good in difficult people—challenges even the most faithful Christian.

Yesterday, I heard someone say that God never gives us more than we can handle, a quote Christians frequently spout when trying to encourage someone going through a difficult time. Scripture does not say that.

In Dave’s and my case, sometimes our marriage has pushed both of our buttons, the red ones that yell “Stop!” Quitting would be easy, except the Bible says that we are given trials that we might prove faithful, that we might learn perseverance and ultimately, joy. What we do with those trials—as we trust that God is in charge and we aren’t—helps us grow closer to our spouse and to God…and that needs to be our ultimate goal.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving next Thursday, let us not forget to be thankful for our families, to pray for them daily and to recognize that God can use our differences to draw us closer to Him.  For me, the thought of a Thanksgiving turkey over tacos makes me grateful, even if it is just once a year.