Have you
ever made a list of things for which you could give thanks? Oddly, I think many people would have an
easier time making a list of the things wrong in their life! I sat down one day and actually began making
a list and was amazed as I reflected on how good God has been to me!
I begin
with my God, first and foremost, my husband, children (all five!),
grandchildren (10 and one on the way), our home, and our “things.” But well before our “things” I place
our church family, pastor, great gospel music, food on the table, the ability
to place words on paper that someone else may find encouraging and on and on
and on. The truth is, as I said before,
God has been good to me!
Do you ever
wonder how a person who has much negativity can find joy in life? There are those who refuse to see the good in
each day and rather focus on the trials or setbacks that have occurred. I’ve had my share of both and can relate to
the feeling of “just feeling rotten!” Thankfully
(another good reason to give thanks) I seldom reach a point of complete
despair! I prefer to look for the silver
lining or if a detour is necessary, consider it “the scenic route!”
What about
you? How do you look at life? Are you thankful for the little things? Can you remember the last time you were thankful
for green grass, a blue sky, or rain? Rain, or the lack thereof in this area, has
become very important. We were so dry
for so long. Thank the Lord for the rain. It was wonderful over the weekend to hear gentle
rainfall in the middle of the night.
What an amazing, peaceful sound to hear when you’re only about half
awake!
I’m
thankful for the mornings. I know there
are many people who are night owls. I’m
not one of them. My preference is to
wake early, preferably right after sunrise (although I don’t do it all the
time) and with cup of coffee in hand, enjoy the early morning sounds of the
chickadees chattering, orioles singing, robins chirping and all of nature
waking, while gazing at the beautiful sky as the sun peeks over the trees, and
watching the squirrels flit from one branch to another, feeling a gentle breeze
and admiring the flowers as they turn their faces to the sun. What wonder!
Just to think of it makes me smile!
What a gift we have in the beauty of nature.
Tonight if
you find yourself in a state of sleeplessness, tossing and turning because your
mind won’t shut down, consider all you have to be thankful for. Start naming them one by one. It’s a grand way to fall to sleep. You might have to turn some corners in your
mind as you work around what might have been a bad day, bad week, or even a few
(or many) bad years. But good is out
there….and there is much to be thankful for!
It
is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, Psalm 92:1
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