Count Your Blessings
Have you ever stopped to take inventory of your life and the many blessings you have received from God? I know that there are many times I am more interested in the complaining and whining of all the things that are going wrong in life. Many in our world today tend to see the cup half empty rather than half full. We do forget how truly blessed we really are.
When I was chaplain for Stanford Children’s Hospital, I was amazed to see the courage of the many children coming in and out of the hospital dealing with cancer. These children had every right to complain, but instead they were all given a journal that simply had the words, “Count your Blessings” written on every page. The challenge was that while they were in the hospital, they were to write down at least five blessings they received every day.
The answers they wrote in the book were amazing, and really got me thinking of how I look at life. I remember one little girl writing how she was thankful to have her favorite nurse working while she was in the hospital. Another shared her classmates made cards to show their support and love to her. Some wrote they were able to laugh, walk, eat, or sing that day. These children wanted to focus on the good, rather than the sickness. They wanted to be positive and thankful for the opportunity to make a change for the better. They never wanted to lose hope or the joy and love in their lives.
That experience did change my life. I have found that in my prayer life, I start every day by saying thanks to God for the blessings that I have received. I want to start each day giving thanks to God for the blessings that I have received. I like taking inventory and realize that I am so very blessed with His love.
I have a sign in my office that reads, “Be thankful, cherish your family, never give up, laugh, believe, and listen with your heart. Love LOTS!” Being thankful and counting blessings is a way to give glory to God. We are all blessed every moment of every day. I know that sometimes it might be hard to see that, through all the devastation that is plaguing our world or your life at this time, but if we all take a step back and see the blessings that we have in our lives we might come to know God is really on our side.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians it says: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you.” (Thessalonians 5:16-18). The Good News is that God wants us to be happy and to be thankful for the blessings that we have received. I want to challenge you as I continue to challenge myself; let us stop and count our blessings. You will be amazed at how blessed you really are. I know I am. It is time to take inventory. It is time to Count your Blessings!