COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

I was driving home from work on I-35W which is enough to cause stress in the most serene person. (Those of you that live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area understand.) The workday had been stressful with claimants’ demands and management’s expectations. The car in front of me was not getting out of my way, and I was about to drive my little 4-cylinder car over it. I was headed to my son’s school to pick him up and then arrive at our house to do all the single parenting stuff. First, dinner, then help him with his TWO hours of homework—for KINDERGARTEN! Seriously! For some reason, his teacher could not finish the plans each day, so he had to finish his worksheets at home.

I was not in the best of moods, and I was telling God all about it in my car. I’m sure He was thrilled to hear from Ms. Gripey-Butt once again about how awful her life was with all the grief and stress she had been dealt in life. It just isn’t fair, God! Why did all of this have to happen to me? I hate my life! My attitude had fallen down around my ankles, and I wanted it to stay there.

Then, His voice spoke.

I “heard” it in my spirit as if He was sitting in human form in my passenger seat.

“Count your blessings.”

What is the sound that teenagers make when you want them to clean their room? That was my response.

God, I know what my blessings are. I don’t want to count them.

Just like a spoiled, rotten, self-centered child.

“Count your blessings.”

Really? Fine. (Meaning it really wasn’t fine.)

Here goes.

I have a son whom I love. I have a mother, father, and sister whom I love and who loves me. I have a job that pays me enough to not have to worry about finances. I have a roof over me and my son. I have a car that works. I am saved by your loving grace.

My list continued down the highway.

By the time I arrived at my son’s school, I began to see my life differently. Yes, I still had stresses in my life. It was my attitude and outlook that had changed.

I WAS AND AM BLESSED!

How do I know? When I count my blessings, I realize I have SO MANY of them. I just have to remind myself regularly.

The word, blessing, means 1) the act or words of one that blesses, 2) approval, encouragement, or 3) a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.

The Bible has quite a bit to say about blessings.

Psalm 37:25-26—”I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, and his descendants are a blessing.”

In my years here on earth, God has never forsaken me or not met my needs. I am so thankful for every day that He is giving me. He has given me a purpose for my life in this present time, one of them you are reading. God is very gracious!

Luke 24:51—”While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.”

The last act that Jesus performed was to bless His disciples. We should model the Lord.

Ephesians 1:3—”Blessed be the God and Father of Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Every. Spiritual. Blessing! This verse alone should cause us to rejoice and return a blessing to God.

Psalm 96:2—”Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”

The Bible also tells us the battle we must fight in order to be a blessing. We have a choice!! We can be a blessing, or we can be a curse.

James 3:10—”From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

Luke 6:28—”Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

One of my OBU roommates and I had to recite this verse several times one semester. We wanted to obey God, but there were some people we just wanted to curse instead of bless. So, with gritted teeth, we said this verse until we could bless them. Thank you, Angela, for this memory and this lesson.

1 Peter 3:9—”Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead, for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

Oh, this one gets hard! But that person said something ugly to me! They stole money from me! They weren’t kind to me. Why can’t I just get even with them? Just even. Not any more, but not any less. Yet, I am called for a purpose to give a blessing so that I might inherit a blessing.

Inheritances are a blessing in themselves. Objects are left behind that help us remember those that loved us enough to choose us to receive their precious belongings. God says to give a blessing instead of a curse so that we might inherit a blessing!

One of my favorite memories with my sister, Dana, is standing at the top of a ski run in Colorado and looking around at the beautiful scenery created by God. Both of us began to sing Psalm 103:1, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

So, as I count my blessings, my response should always be Revelation 5:12—saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

Let’s all choose to look around at all that God has blessed us with and given to us. Let’s raise our focus from ourselves to the One who gives us life. Let’s choose to bless others instead of retaliating with curses.

Let’s fill up our blessing jar.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God has done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God has done.