COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

 

As I penned the title, all I could think of was the golden hymn of yesteryear’s:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done….

Count our blessings…To see and feel how blessed we are.

Sometime life’s trials are too difficult to understand. Sometimes life’s troubles are too hard to bear. Sometimes life’s pain is too much to tolerate. When those times come, you need to look up to Heaven and count your blessings.
Write down each blessing as you remember them. All of them. The big ones and the little ones.

Here are some to get you started. Do you have eyes, ears, fingers, and toes?  Water and food? You have somewhere to sleep? Do you have family and friends? Can you see the sun, moon, and stars? The list goes on…

God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. A blessed Life does not mean that we do not have hardships. We do. But through it all, we receive  Divine Grace and Help.

We may have seen bad days or worse ones: everything that we want may not find us, but, for sure, we have all that we need. We may even have woken up with a lot of aches and pains all over, but still, we did wake up, right?

Our lives may not be perfect, but we are truly blessed

Luke 10:6 of the Bible says:

‘When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” If a man of Peace is there, your Peace will rest on Him: If not, it will return to you.’

Jesus is teaching His disciples the way they should conduct themselves when they are out into the world preaching the Good News. Any one who welcomed them would be blessed with Peace, or else that Peace would return back. Messengers of Peace would always carry God’s Peace with them. Jesus tells the disciples to take no possessions with them. All their needs would be met, He assures them.

From those times till this day, this is the greatest lesson we need to train ourselves on. Our needs are few and they will be provided for. We do not have to worry, as we will suffer no lack. He Provides, He takes care, for He is our Father. And we will be granted Peace from above.

Realize that worldly possessions or attachments will not fill us with the Heavenly Peace that we have been promised. Unlearn what the world has taught and start learning at the feet of the Lord. That is the only path to Peace.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank you for all the blessings that You have already filled or lives with. Help us to see every moment as precious and to be grateful all the time. Forgive us when we shift our focus and gaze from You – that is where we stumble and fall down headlong – especially when unexpected circumstances arise. Hold our hand and lead us through every rough terrain or tough seas. We know that we are safe in Your arms. May we count our blessings, naming them one by one, and see how wonderful You have been. Cover us with Your Mantle of Mercy and Grace. In Your name. Amen.

God bless us all. Peace on you all.