Derby Day

Hebrews 13:15
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name."

You don't have to be a horse racing fan to enjoy the Kentucky Derby. Maybe it's because our daughter Julie lives in the suburbs of Louisville, but somehow Derby Day was a bit more interesting today. Tammy turned on the television around noon to watch all the preliminary races and to see all the beautiful hats. Then it hit her; she needed to be prepared properly. Thus the attached picture.

Tammy is improving daily. Today she was able to help around the house (she folded the clean laundry) and hasn't taken a nap yet today. That may sound small, but each day she has more energy.

So far today, I have cooked and cleaned up two meals, done the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, paid some bills and mowed the lawn. I used to think Saturdays were for relaxing and resting up. But I have never felt more useful in my life. More important, I have never felt more purposeful in my life.

We firmly believe our purpose in life is to glorify God. But how do we do that? Sometimes it's in very obvious ways, giving credit to Him for things in our life, or by singing a song of worship. But sometimes it's by doing the everyday things to the best of our ability. The definition of a sacrifice is giving up something of value for something of greater value. A sacrifice of praise is offering praise to God instead of doing something to bring ourselves glory.

My purpose today, and for the past six months and the next several as well, is to serve God by serving Tammy. I can praise God by doing so with a cheerful heart. It's a great feeling, not just because I'm doing something for my hero here on Earth, but also because I feel God's calling to serve in this way.

What's your calling? How can you offer a sacrifice of praise? There are plenty of options.