It's Friday, and supposedly it's going to be a scorcher! I'm sitting here pondering the meaning of life (again), thankful that I am blessed with air conditioning, and that I live in such incredible beauty, surrounded by God's handiwork and having the time to enjoy it.
TGIF: Thank God it's Friday; the mantra of all members of the rat race. At least it is for those who live a Monday to Friday existence. For everyone else, I suppose their mantra is Thank God that it is My Day Off or TGTIIMDO. A tad cumbersome.
Isn't it amazing how God often pops up in conversation? People, who may or may not acknowledge that God exists can often be heard to say "Oh my God!" in response to just about anything. I wonder, who do they think they are talking to? The greatest of agnostics might greet the resident atheist as they gather around the proverbial water cooler with a glib "Thank God it's Friday, eh?", even though they don't know Him personally. And, when something good happens, expected or unexpected, we often hear people exclaim "Oh thank God" as if to acknowledge that He is their benefactor when in fact they don't actually give Him the credit. Why are these acknowledgments of God so pervasive in our culture?
This is the part of my blog where I would nornally expound some great wisdom on the subject, but truth be told, I have no idea what the answer is. However, here are some guesses;
It's just tradition, a turn of phrase that was once sincere but now just commonplace. Watch any home decorating show reveal and count the number of times people say "Oh my God!" or "I promised myself I wasn't going to say Oh my God... but... Oh my God!"
It's a genuine acknowledgement that some things are so special that they appear to be a blessing. As in "Oh my God, that was so thoughtful of you. Thank you so much."
It's a bad habit of cursing God for anything that annoys us. (In the 14th century, people could be heard uttering curses that involve God's private parts - so sayeth the nerdy side of Jan who adores fictional medieval murder mysteries).
It's a sincere exclamation of worship, giving credit where credit is due. "Thank you God for saving my (husband, wife, child, parent, brother, sister)" from what ever crisis has occurred.
Whatever the reason, I find it interesting that we most often hear expressions of incredulity that include God's name but seldom the names of other supposed deities. How often do you hear someone mutter the oath "Of for the love of Ganesha" or "Oh my Zeus" or "What in Horus's name do you think you are doing?" There is no "Thank Geb its Friday". For whatever reason, many, many people no matter the culture, location or language mention God's name in times of joy, anger or just in casual conversation.
I remember seeing a sign on a secretary's desk that said You may know where you are going, and God knows where you are going, but does your secretary know where you are going? God, it seems, is everywhere, whether we want to admit it or not.
It is Friday and the end of the week for my husband the only member of our household who is currently living a Monday to Friday existence right now. When he gets home tonight, he'll exhale and sink into the couch saying "Thank God its Friday. I'm free for the weekend." I on the other hand, have the great fortune, for now anyway, to enjoy each day as it comes, hanging out with my dear Lord and reveling in the fact that I am free. Free from the stress of the work week. Free from the self deception that my self worth is predicated on my paycheck. Free from the ball of pain in my gut and no longer a slave to the favourable opinions of others.
Eventually, I will return to the world of work. Wiser, happier, stronger, and if it is His will, doing the work that is my passion instead of being a mill stone around my neck. I suppose the choice is mine. For now, I revel in the fact that through His grace, I can truly say "Oh my God" and mean it as an exclamation of joyful praise for His grace and mercy to me. I can conduct myself throughout the day simply for the love of Jesus with an attitude of gratitude and receiving blessings from complete strangers, because I bless them.
Thank God I'm Free. Amen!
It's me, Jan
No comments:
Post a Comment