Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
I have so much to be thankful for in my life. This week as I as counting my blessings I realized that coming up with 10 things to be grateful for each day was relatively easy if I really think about it for a few minutes. I don’t ever want to take these blessings for granted as they are a gift from my heavenly Father who truly cares about me in the good as well as the struggles I face every day.
I want to be accountable to you too so the following are snipits of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for Brina writing me a reminder note to adjust her meal schedule because she liked one of the meals I made her so much! My family knows me well! 🙂
Tuesday – Thankful that Skipper is always jumping up and down excited to see me when I get home! Such a great way to be greeted upon arriving home!
Wednesday – Thankful for the girls curiosity and love of learning – we did a spontaneous celery and food coloring experiment before school.
Thursday – Thankful for a chance to talk with Jake on the phone in the morning as he was getting ready for his busy day in Charleston and even more grateful to have him back home that evening.
Friday – Thankful for a washer and dryer to help get our clothes and laundry cleaned in an efficient manner.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
A few weeks ago I had a little wake up call… In a conversation with someone close to me it was mentioned during our discussion that I wasn’t as “positive” or “cheerful” as I used to be. Unfortunately, I did not react very positively to the comment. The comment hurt. It struck a raw chord, something I already knew in my heart, but didn’t realize how much it was effecting the people around me.
I know the comment wasn’t meant to be mean, but to call out some things that are going on my life that they have noticed recently. I am truly thankful for people in my life who are honest, even if it hurts a little. This was a sincere concern about me and the things I have been struggling with these last few months. When someone feels comfortable enough to speak the truth even if it is difficult to say you know they care deeply about you, your spiritual growth, and the struggles your hanging onto.
My first reaction was that I had a reason to be a little more frustrated recently. It has been a tough few months. I herniated a disc in my neck back in October and I am still in pain from it. It has been a very slow and painful recovery so my first instinct was to excuse my behavior. This person knows how much I have gone through these past few months so it was seen as the excuse that it was. The purpose for the comment was to encourage me to take my focus off all the crazy stuff that has been going on and focus on the good things that God is doing in my life as well as the lives around me.
After a couple weeks of praying, wrestling with it some more, thinking about it, and admitting I have been grumpier lately I decided I needed to do something specific. In addition to prayer, having someone I had to be accountable to, I also needed a daily activity to refresh my memory of the good in my life. I wanted something that would redirect my focus back to the many positive blessings everyday that have been overshadowed by some other more stressful items going on in my life. What I decided to do is to write down at least 10 things I am thankful for each day. I titled my list “Counting My Blessings”. I hope that this activity will encourage and help turn my focus more on the positive things in my life. I want to appreciate and enjoy the amazing blessings I have been given. To be content with the season I am in at the moment.
I want to be accountable to you as well. The following are snipits of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for the car ride into school where I can chat with the girls about life, their days, and more!
Tuesday – Thankful that Jake reads devotions to the girls and patiently answers their many questions about God, life, the bible, and so much more.
Wednesday – Thankful for a chance to catch up with someone I have known for years, but haven’t seen in awhile. Her twin grandkids are now 3 years old. I remember how excited she was waiting for them to be born. It was great catching up for a few minutes.
Thursday – Thankful for a fresh snow fall so the girls could have a day off school and we could build a snowman, go sledding, hike in the woods, play games, read, play, and have fun together.
Friday – Thankful for additional time with my girls since school started two hours late due to black ice today.
A Little Purple Flower
Those who know me have heard this story many times. The other day as I was reflecting on my life and the many blessings in it my thoughts drifted back to this moment several years ago that so deeply stirred my heart. I want to share this story with you to provide encouragement for those tough days.
When I was in college I had an experience that left a lasting imprint on my heart and life. Sometimes God uses the “tiniest” blessings to uplift and encourage us. It had been a rough week at college with a lot of projects, tests, work, and activities. I was a little more stressed than normal and homesick. I had just checked my mailbox and once again it was empty. As I quietly walked back to my dorm room I noticed a group of preschool children from the daycare nearby coming my direction walking in a single file line with their teachers. The kids were talking, laughing and full of life. Right as I was walking past them one little boy yelled “STOP!” The whole line of kids, teachers, and myself stopped as he bent over at the edge of the sidewalk, looked at the ground, then started jumping up and down while yelling excitedly “LOOK I FOUND A PURPLE FLOWER!” What he had found was the tiniest little purple flower attached to a weed on the edge of the sidewalk.
Everyday that week I had walked by those purple flowers but yet I was so focused on my own life, problems, and thoughts that I had failed to stop and notice the little purple flowers in my life. Those purple flowers represent a multitude of blessings God sends my way to remind me (even in the tough times) that He loves me. Often he uses the beauty of His creation to capture my attention but it could be many other blessings in my life that I didn’t stop to appreciate. I never walked down that sidewalk again without looking for a purple flower and this moment has been etched in my mind as a reminder for me to continue looking for those purple flowers.
There have been seasons in my life since that time when I had to look closely at the weeds (metaphorically speaking) to find a beautiful purple flower in the midst of the trial. It was a simple illustration of God’s love shining through that little boy to remind me how truly blessed I am. This moment made a priceless impact on my life and even though life isn’t always easy I know God cares enough to send even a tiny purple flower across my path.
I want to encourage you if you are going through a rough season. It’s okay to have tough days, God still loves you, cares about you, and is reaching out to show you blessings (no matter how big or tiny) everyday. Although, you may have to look harder for those little purple flowers on the side of the walkway in the middle of the weeds you can rejoice in those little miracles of encouragement. Take a moment today to reflect on the purple flowers in your life.
Photo by donjd2
