While I am sure that all the people in your life appreciates every little thing you do, perhaps, like mine, they seldom if ever give any indication that they do.
Sometimes it is actually hilarious, like the old joke about the little four year old boy who had never spoken a word. One morning, his mother served him his breakfast and his toast was burnt. He began complaining, whining and cursing. Whole strings of words and sentences. His parents were shocked and thrilled. He could talk! When the excitement calmed down, they asked him, "Son, why have you never spoken before?" He said plainly, "Up until this morning, everything has been fine."
Other times, when you are tired or sick or feeling overloaded it can be downright depressing. You can begin to feel used or bitter or resentful. And that can in turn make you feel guilty or petty...after all the people and the home you do these things for, you care about very deeply.
Many years ago, when I was going through feeling that way because it was up to me to feed all the animals that we had at the time, God heard my complaints. And he reminded me that in reality those animals were His, not Pete's. "Do it for Me, and I will see and I will remember.", His Holy Spirit seemed to say to me.
Then several years ago, I was going through another down spell of feeling totally unappreciated. I was moping, crying and complaining. Once again, God seemed to say, "There, there now. I know and I see. You are doing the best you can and I appreciate it. The very fact that they can take you for granted, proves you are doing a good job."
I'm not going to say it never upsets me when they ignore the things I've done and point out what I haven't done. But nowadays, when it starts to turn my thoughts dark, I know inside that they'd be lost if I wasn't here doing what I do. How hard life would seem. And I thank God I'm still here and around to do those things for them. And I pray he'll let me be here and able for many years to come.
