I grew up with a hymn titled, "Count Your Many Blessings." I remember loving the sound of the melody as my mother's soprano voice sang the words. With some sadness I must admit I took lightly the lyrics of the powerful hymn.
How quickly would you be able to list 100 blessings God has provided to you?
If your perspective was like mine, until I lost some very important things (and it does not appear the losses are finished), you might respond with something such as, "Life has been hard, I don't think I have 100," "Well the breaks haven't gone my way, so not sure I could get to 100," or "Others have been blessed far more." Each well-intended but sharing the same attributes lame, weak and self-absorbed.
Consider this as you begin the journey to 100. Start simple. Did you eat one or more meals today? Not, did you eat what you wanted, or as much as you wanted, did you eat period? If so, you have your first of the 100. Really? A meal is a blessing? Come on Bart, that's not a blessing it happens every day. Not for everyone. According the stopthehunger.com 25,981 people died of hunger TODAY around the world, many of the children.
Curious, you dress the morning? Same clothes as yesterday or did you choose something different? Really? do you know how many people wore the same thing they have been wearing for many days, if they have good clothes at all?
What's the point Bart. Okay, so there are poor people. Well, if you are not one of them, are you thankful - daily. I wasn't. I believed things like meals, clothes, books, computers, friends, family, laughter, health, my sweet spouse's smile, my kids' hugs and God's love were things I deserved - tonight some of them are absent and I know different.
Know what? I bet you and I have 1000 tangible blessings. I challenge you, and me, to begin actually counting them. We do such things at work. We count things because we believe they are valuable enough to count. Yet, and for reasons that are both common and weak, we do not count those things that are most important. And, guess what happened to me? Before long, I lost track of how important they were AND begin treating them that way. Before you lose something of great value to you - start counting - and never stop.
