Let’s count our blessings in Christ—the big ones, but even the little ones.
Your children wake up in the morning. One of them groans, “I’m tired of school.” Your heart echoes, “And for me, the same drudgery today.” Or you head out to work on this dark, chilly morning, saying, “Another day; another dollar.” You run to the store, and droopy faces complain, “Will spring ever arrive?” The pre-suppertime hour arrives, everybody is edgy, and you aren’t thinking the sweetest thoughts about your kids.
Most of us live lives of routine. This week is the same as the last and the next. Parts of life are boring. Life is not a party. But listen, friends; that’s fine. The everyday events of life are a blessing. If you are in a rut of bemoaning the mundane, just think about what your life would be like without the sameness.
Friends of ours recently lost their eighteen- year-old son in an accident. They would tell you: “Appreciate every moment with your children, even the frustrating ones. You don’t know how many days and years you’ll have together.” Cancer has become the uninvited guest in another family’s home. They would welcome their repetitive workaday life of a couple of years ago instead of the frequent treks to the doctor and the weakness, pain, and nausea. Let’s count our blessings in Christ—the big ones, but even the little ones. They make up the bigger part of our lives, and they add up to big blessings. Let’s pray for grateful, humble, God-glorifying optimism.
Every moment is a gift of God. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22, KJV). The fact that we still have these cycles means that we have life and the world hasn’t ended yet. God gives us routine. With every rotation of the earth, we eat, work, interact with others, and sleep. Our children are born; they grow and learn. Six days a week we labor, and one day we rest and worship Him. The years come and go. We enjoy the good of our labor because it’s the gift of God. It’s all beautiful.
Only believers in Christ can truly enjoy life because we have hope—hope that flows from trusting God for life and for eternity. We have a place to go during the tough times of life. Let this hope fuel our optimism. This optimism grows in the soil of humility. We know that we are sinners who deserve neither God’s saving grace nor His kind care that we receive every day. Therefore, our hearts are filled with gratitude today, even though today is the same as yesterday.
So count your blessings. The sun is shining. The shadows are simply the cover of His wings (Ps. 57:1). Thank the Lord for the measure of health and provision He has given you. Love your people. Pray for open eyes to see His everyday graces, as He holds your hand in His. Glorify God in all your ways. And heartily enjoy your mundane blessings because of Christ and His faithfulness.
MARY BEEKE is author of The Law of Kindness and Teach Them to Work and has served as a schoolteacher and a nurse.
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