Thursday, July 15, 2010

365 Days of Blessings - Day 46

365 Days of Blessings, Day 46

Have you ever had moments in life that just suck?

Like when you get pulled over for speeding ticket, and you know you deserve it?

Or when your spouse tells you that both of you forgot to pay the property taxes three months ago and now you’re going to have to pay an extra fine on top of the usual amount?

Or when you lock your keys in your car, and realize that you left your cell-phone on its charger at home? Then you find out that the nearest public pay phone (yes, they still exist) is broken?

Or when an entire sports team sized water container falls over in the back of your van on the way to a church softball game, and your vehicle is soaked from front to back?

Or when you think you are prepared for a meeting, but then find out that you’ve forgotten to bring several key pieces of information that you just can’t quite remember off the top of your head?

Or when you hear something disappointing about someone you usually have deep respect for?

Or when you strike out at bat, and you feel like you could have hit one of those balls if you had just swung a little faster/harder/higher/lower?

Or you say/do something you later regret?

I’ve had all of those kinds of moments in the last three weeks. They aren’t fun.
In fact, they get me feeling entitled to feel downright grumpy.

However, there is that verse that keeps hitting me on the head in these moments: “Rejoice in the Lord, always. Again, I say Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Or as it usually hits me, phrase by phrase:

“Rejoice in the Lord,

ALWAYS.

AGAIN,

I say,

REJOICE!”


And sometimes I think, really? Really, Lord? Now? Rejoice? Are you sure? When my keys are locked out of my car, my cell-phone is at home, I had to use the business phone at a bookstore to call my husband and he’s going to walk here from his work, partly because he van-pooled today? Really?

And then, I realize that in the midst of my complaint, there are blessings. Blessings that I am not seeing. Blessings that I can rejoice in, always, again and again.

So here’s my post for today, for in the midst of my griping, I found these blessings.

1. God is always present, in times of trouble, and times of joy.

2. I know the Lord. In him, I have nothing to fear, worry about, or even complain about – he is my everything.

3. I have a car.

4. I have a cell-phone.

5. The bookstore where I am may not have a working public pay phone, but they have a nice staff who allowed me to use their business phone.

6. My husband can walk. Ok, that may not seem big, but I have a sister-in-law whose husband is trapped in a wheelchair, and can’t move from his neck down.

7. My husband is available to help me, and is within walking distance of where I am. He has the keys to the car.

8. I can sit and write while I wait, and hey, that’s part of the reason I came to the bookstore – to be away from the distractions of my home, and write, write, write.

9. Plug-ins and internet connections are all over the place where I live.

10. My husband rides in a vanpool on most days to work, saving us money and saving a bit of fuel.

Bonus Blessing: Counting my blessings, rejoicing in the Lord, always, again, and again, lifts my mood, heals my soul, and keeps me smiling.

Another Bonus Blessing: My husband and I weren’t sure if we would meet for lunch today, but through unplanned circumstances, we did.

So, have you had any unexpected, unplanned blessings in disguise today? or recently?

3 comments:

Tyrean Martinson said...

And then, a friend gently reminds me that I really, really have nothing to complain about . . .

Angie said...

How about when sewage backs up into the basement and everything you moved into the backyard to get out of the sewage gets dumped on by a sever thunderstorm? Yeah. Sucks. But you're right. At least I have indoor plumbing and the basement is unfinished and it didn't damage anything I was sad to lose. So important to notice our blessings every day! Thanks again, Tyrean.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Wow! Ok, we haven't had that one happen yet . . . but we have lost things in a basement flood . . . it is so important to notice the blessings in the midst of daily moments that don't feel particularly blessed.
Thanks Angie!