Things I’m Grateful for

How Counting Your Blessings Puts You Back in Perspective

I’m grateful for my life and my health; the sun, moon and stars; my hearing and my vision; my parents and siblings…all of which are alive and well; my friends and acquaintances; my gift of prose; my home and my car; the greatest toy Chihuahua in the world who gives me so much happiness; the love of a man who I love implicitly in return; my lights, gas, and DISH Network that feeds my need to see good cable TV; my job and my paycheck; experiencing the wonders of pregnancy and childbirth; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and God’s Grace; my family members…yes, all of them because our blood is intertwined; the food in my refrigerator and pantry; my sanity…well, I guess you see I can go on and on about all the things I am grateful for in this world. I’m hard-pressed, however, if I try to do the same thing with the not-so-pleasant things in my life. In fact, they are so few and insignificant, it seems moot to even mention them. All-in-all…I AM BLESSED and you are, too!

People spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about what they don’t have or what they wish they had while they are coveting someone else’s blessings. The neighbor’s grass might look greener, but you don’t know how heavy the load they’ve had to haul around in their lives to fertilize their yard.

God has provided for you all the things you need and if you are missing some of the vital things one must have to survive, it is up to you to facilitate the acquisition of these things. If you were to make your own list of positives and negatives, you would find, just as I did, the good far outweighs the bad; the happy is more pungent than the sad. So stop complaining so much.

In the Bible, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." This means that we should remember the things we are grateful for in the good times and the bad; when we have little and when we have much. Thanksgiving promotes God’s glory and helps to develop the much needed sense of humility. I am keenly aware that all the things I am grateful for, God supplied.

A person who is steeped in complaint and doesn’t recognize the positive is someone who isn’t experiencing the fullness of the simple riches we’ve been given in this life. When we take the time to count our blessings, and focus on the wonderful things, we begin to appreciate life more. And when bad things come to pass, it shouldn’t make us any less appreciative.

Remembering to count our blessings in the bad times, or when we have little, is an act of faith. It’s tough to acknowledge the fact our current circumstance is part of the future plan God has for us. When tragedy hits our lives, or when the bills aren’t being paid, there doesn't seem to be much to be grateful for. The main thing to tell yourself is that even as bad as your situation is, it could be far worse…and we all know examples of things that can happen to us that would be worse than what is happening right now. In the midst of your hurting, try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I lost my son, I was devastated, but now, nearly seven years past the event, I am stronger for others who may travel the same road and I started to appreciate the fact God had given me a miracle against every conceivable odd and I experienced something I never thought I would had I let my faith lie solely on medical professionals.

Even with all the trouble of the world nowadays, the school massacres, the murder/suicides, the famine and pestilence across the seas and on our own shores, God has not abandoned His throne and is still in control. His plan will be revealed in due time and we will be thankful for all the trials and tribulations. For now, while we wait for the disclosure of God’s will for the world, we can only give thanks for the promise He has made for our lives and take a little time, every day, to count our blessings and be grateful for life itself.