Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: 'Come near to God. He's heard your complaints.'" Exodus 16:9 (MSG)

When I was a kid, my mom told me, "you're such a pessimist." At the time, I wasn't sure what a pessimist was. I suspected it had something to do with being ambidextrous, though I couldn't be sure. She was right. I was always fearing the worst and looking at the glass half-empty. I was the child quick to complain, and being the baby of the family I was all about pulling out the "fairness" card.

I'd like to think that I've come a long way since that stretch of life's road. I've travelled much further down the path and seen God's blessing. I've also experienced God's faithfulness and provision along the way. Based on that, I would consider myself much more of a glass-half full guy today.

Yet, I'm still human. Little Tommy Tucker can still creep up in my spirit and sing a full, pessimistic lament. As I journey through Exodus I read a lot of griping and complaining. I love that God, even when the people are childish, hears their complaints. When I read about Israel's wilderness wanderings, I often get the mental picture of a father dealing with an emotional toddler. And I, like most people, can find myself feeling childish emotions from time to time.

I'm thankful that God hears my complaints, even when they are simply the rant of this overemotional child.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and Jeremy Brooks