Counting My Blessings

Gratefulness.  Thankfulness 

Thankful according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means:  glad that something has happened or not happened, that something or someone exists, etc.

: of, relating to, or expressing thanks

Thankfulness from the same dictionary means: well-pleased, glad

Thankful according to the Free Dictionary online means: Aware and appreciative of a benefit. Grateful.

This morning as I was waking up I felt bad.  A bit hopeless. Gloomy.  As is my routine, I pray when I get up and as I started I remembered these words from the Bible...Come into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise.  (may not be exactly that way, but how I remembered.)  This for those who don't know was from the Old Testament times when they would go into the Tabernacle and there is this whole awesome study you can do on how it is symbolic of how we enter into God's presence in prayer now.  And I tend to pray that way but this morning I realized that I hadn't been thankful or grateful for a while.

And as I thought about it I remembered to be thankful.  I have a friend who is pretty much homeless right now.  She has been in a couple of shelters, nights in cheap motels, on friend's couches.  It's been rough.  So I thanked the Lord for my home and all the things in it.  

I have food in the house.  Another friend is working near a college where the students are hungry.  Budgets are very tight and they have sacrificed to be there.  And sometimes that means missing a meal or a few meals.  I'm thankful for food.  And another man I know is on a mission's trip.  They have very little where he is going and I have so much.  

Then I thought of the prayer needs that have come into our prayer group in the last week.  People in hospitals with dire diagnoses, with little hope for the future.  Others  have lost their mom or dad.  I'm thankful for health, that I can walk and talk that my Mom is still with us.  I'm thankful for my family.  

I'm thankful for my car.  We were able to get me my own this year.  It's sporty.  It's blue and good on gas.  Some people don't have a car at all. We have two.  I have a job. Many don't have one or aren't able to work. I have beautiful daughters and wonderful grands.  And Bill and John are good to Mandi and Jack and Chanel, John Paul and Bekki.  And my beautiful Carla.  She has been a god-send with helping with my mom this last year.  And right now everyone is healthy.  I have my wonderful hubby Paul.  And he is doing good. We are so blessed!  

My Dad always wanted to move to Tennessee, to retire here.  I'm living out his dream.  I'm thankful I live where I do.  

As I thanked God for all these and many other blessings, I felt the gloomy mood lift and I felt hope restored.  Yes, I have challenges.  yes, I have the same problems that were trying to overwhelm me.  But being thankful gave me a new view.  It gave me a new perspective.  And I'm very thankful for that.  

So if you are facing an Eeyore type of day let me suggest trying to be thankful, grateful, glad. 

When I was young we used to sing "Count your many blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings, see what God has done."  There is a lot of wisdom in those words.