Do you ever just stop and count your blessings? I don’t do this nearly as much as I should, but when I do I am instantly reminded of how good God has been to me! Consider a small child who has a roof over his head, food in his belly, entertainment galore, and a family that adores him (or her). If that child wants something, he is not likely to think “Gee, I have so much. Perhaps I should just forget about that shiny toy or cupcake in the bakery window and appreciate what I have been given.” No, his nature is to beg, cry, or possibly even throw a tantrum to get what he wants and to forget all that he already has.
As mature as we think we are, we do the same thing. It is just that we have just polished our temper tantrums so they look more refined and socially acceptable. ~smile~ A few months ago, I was driving down the road in my 1997 Saturn and as something else (cannot even remember what) went wrong with her, I blurted out, “I am so over this car!” Well, apparently she took it personally because, shortly after that, she stopped working altogether. We would charge her battery and then in no time she was dead again. After a long period of driving Eric to and from work and waiting to hear back from the mechanic, getting my old car back felt like Christmas! Instead of saying, “I’m so over this car!” I was saying, “Thank you God for this car!”
Next time you are feeling down, or having a bad day all around, take a minute, breathe deeply, and name three blessings in your life off the top of your head… “Thank you God for my friends, my warm running water, and my full refrigerator!” In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, I am going to blurt out three blessings I am thankful for this year!
Blessing #1: Eric and I Have Been Together Another Year!
It is a blessing in this fickle world to say that Eric and I have been together another year! The longer I am married, the more I am convinced that our marriage is still growing and thriving because of God’s grace. We have experienced more challenges and more joy this year… and we are still trucking along. The longer we are together, the less I can imagine my life without him. I am still convinced that marrying him was the right decision! It is exciting to see how much we have grown over the years and how we are becoming more “one” each year. And, we are getting quite adept at guessing what the other is about to say. ~smile~
Blessing #2 – God has Blessed PreEngaged and We are Excited to See what He has in Store for the Next Year!
When I started college thirteen years ago, I would have never dreamed that my future husband and I would have this business working with pre-engaged and premarital couples! There have been challenges along the way, as is the case with any new adventure; however, looking back over the last several years, it is clear that we have been so blessed! We have several new ideas to bless our PreEngaged audience and clients for the upcoming year and we are excited to see what God has in store for PreEngaged in the future! ~smile~
Blessing #3 – Many of our Couples got Engaged or Married this Year!
After working with a client couple for several weeks, I get quite attached! ~smile~ A number of our couples have taken the plunge this year and have tied the knot or become engaged – and we are so happy for them! If you got engaged or married this year, send your pre-engagement or premarital counselor a note and let him or her know how you are doing. I am sure he, she, or they would appreciate annual updates!!! ~wink~
How About You?
What are you thankful for this year? Financial provisions? Healing? A closer walk with God? New friends? A new relationship? Make a list of all you have to be thankful for this year. I challenge you to try to write at least 20 blessings down on your list. If you can think of 20, then I bet you can think of 50. And if you can think of 50, 100 should be no problem. ~smile~
The more you thank God, the more blessings will flood your mind. Even our trials are blessings because they teach us and strengthen our faith. I would further challenge you to keep your list of 100 blessings in a binder and add a new list each year. After many years, you can look back over your lists and see the evidence of God’s grace in your life. ~smile~
“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1, ESV)
What are the first three blessings that come to your mind?