Bubble Killer

Our granddaughter Emma was going to take a bath the other day.  I had run the water and made sure there was enough bubble bath to make lots and lots of bubbles because Emma loves to play with the bubbles.  When she came into the bathroom she squealed with delight at seeing a tub full of sparkling little bubbles.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In record time she shed all her clothes and climbed into the tub.  Before I could tell her not to, she grabbed a bar of soap.  Emma didn't know, but I knew, that soap was a major bubble killer.  You see, soap is a surfactant needed to stabilize bubbles.  That's why bubble bath bubbles last longer than regular water bubbles.  The soap mixture decreases the water's surface tension and prevents the weakest part of the bubble from further stretching.  When you add an additional soap, you further change the surface tension and  pop!  Away go your bubbles.

Emma was so disappointed that her pile of beautiful bubbles were gone.  I managed to recreate her bubble bath, and I restrained the impulse for an impromptu science lesson to a four year old, so in the end, we both were happy.

Sometimes in our own lives we inadvertently reach for a "major bubble killer."  We don't realize we are about to overwhelm our spirits and destroy our attitudes when we choose to complain.  David said:

"I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed," (Psalm 77:3).

When we choose to complain in our situations, we will have the same outcome as David.  Eventually our spirit will be overwhelmed.  And make no mistake about it, complaining is a choice.  I know because I have done my fair-share of it in my life. 

When we are faced with a situation, a conflict, a pain, a crisis. . .whatever it is, we have the choice to either complain or to give thanks. If that seems absurd, hear what the Apostle Paul had to say about it:

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Now I am pretty sure that "everything" means just that, every thing. Lest we surmise that Paul is not talking about the bad things of life here, we should look at these verses:

 "And He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9,10.)

Paul was certainly one who had his share of bad things, and yet he was led by the Holy Spirit to write the most incredible epistle about joy.  The same Holy Spirit who resided in the Apostle Paul resides in us and will lead us to thank the Lord in every situation. . .in sickness, in need, in persecution, in distress. . .everything.

Let  us not be those who kill our bubbles.  Let us walk around with the joy of the Lord bubbling around us so much that people just can't believe we could ever have any real problems!  Let us make the choice to rejoice and give thanksgiving to our Lord in the midst of anything this world can throw at us and may we each enjoy all our bubbles!