Blessings Flow

      The time of year has come to pause and give thanks. Recently, I accepted the challenge to think of ten blessings in my life that didn’t involve anything material. The speaker giving the challenge noted that it would be harder than it seemed. He referred to his own attempt at the exercise as one riddled with his wants, more than his blessings. Trying to clear his mind of material desires made that list grow ever longer.

      So over the past week I took the time to reflect on my blessings. There are so many this year that I could think of: my husband’s job, our warm and comfortable home, our mission trip this summer to Guatemala. Yet all of these are a result of material blessings. I’m not saying they’re not worth being thankful for. But they’re not what I’m after.

      I did some more thinking, additional pondering and a few prayers for perspective. Today I sat down and started jotting them down. And wouldn’t you know they flowed like blessings can. From my grateful heart to the page:

1)   My Father in heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ who saves my wretched soul daily from the mess I make of life.

2)   My loving, hard-working, devoted husband.

3)   My two beautiful daughters, precious creations I am privileged to be raising.

4)   Family that loves, supports and encourages me.

5)   Friends and neighbors who expand that family ever larger.

6)   My church. Not the building itself but the family therein.

7)   The health and safety that is undeservedly bestowed upon myself and my loved ones daily.

8)   The gifts God has given me to help spread His love.

9)   My brief stint on Earth, as a woman living in the 21^st century in a free and modern society.

10) The faith, hope and love that, through God's grace, swells from my soul.

      Was that so hard? No, it was embarrassingly easy. Taken from a book AP likes to read called Grateful, by John Bucchino, I am “truly blessed, and duly grateful.”

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.