Is It Glorious or Glorifying?

Mom woke up in a mood this morning. She has those days. Don't we all? 

"Good morning, Mom," I called out. No reply. I began moving my things to the opposite end of the table to give her some room. She began waving and muttering about "this stuff;" her face twisted in annoyance. "Give me a second, Mom. I'm getting them." 

"I want that," she said, pointing to my tea and biscotti. I ignored it, as I quickly let the dog out a second time and headed to the other side of the kitchen to get Mom's breakfast. "Wssh, wssh, wssh," she whistled. "Hey!" As my head snapped around, she was pointing, once again, to my tea and biscotti. "Mom, please wait," I whined. Maybe I was the one on the mood.

I let the dog in and handed Mom her tea, a cookie, and a small bowl of cereal to tide her over until sausage and eggs were ready. Yes, she really eats all that for breakfast. She took a few bites of cereal, and began shaking off her spoon. I knew that move -- she was preparing to lay the spoon on the table while she took a few bites of her cookie. "Mom, leave the spoon in the bowl, please." The spoon hovered over the table, still dripping milk. "Mom, leave the spoon in the bowl, please." The dog barked to be let out again, and the spoon splashed down into the puddle of milk (She would later put her sleeve in it). That did it! "Mom! Put the spoon in the bowl!" I snapped. She looked at the crazy, irrational woman who had just snapped at her for no reason whatsoever, rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. The dog slunk away; she had just used the doormat as her bathroom. 

I stood there reminding myself that, only twenty-four hours prior, my husband and I were sequestered in a luxurious hotel room in a sleepy little town on a rainy Sunday morning. It had been glorious! But this? There was nothing glorious about messes, or demands, or being followed from room to room all day, or repeating instructions like it's the first time every time. Nothing glorious at all. 

But there, for all my self-pity, the Holy Spirit spoke-- not to my ear, but to my heart --"The 'glorious' is not in what you are given, but in whether you use it to glorify God." The difference between glorious and glorifying. So much of the "glorious" depends on the unexpected, undeserved nature of it all. Think of your birthday. Would you rather have someone fill a list to your specifications? Or would you rather someone know you so intimately and care about you so deeply, they give you something you never even realized you needed? That is glorious. Would you rather plan your own party, working and spending to do exactly what you want, where you decide, when you intend? Or would you prefer to be surrounded by gracious, generous people who selflessly give of their time, talent, finances, and passion to show you how they feel about you? That is glorious. 

I don't think the greatest kind of glorious can be scheduled or demanded; but I do think the greatest kind of glorious can be received when we seek to bring glory to our God, the One who has continued to be gracious to us when we are undeserving; the One who is sovereign over all, working when we cannot see it, in ways we cannot understand. We can know the truly glorious when we seek to glorify our Lord. A soft answer, a gentle spirit, selfless service of others -- all bring glory to the Lord, the One through whom we can find great satisfaction and glorious blessing in seeking to glorify Him. A weekend away can be a glorious blessing, but the return to work and regular life, seeking to glorify God in the everyday and the mundane, need not be any less glorious.