I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds.
I will rejoice and exult in you;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2 AMP)
Tonight it’s 9:00 p.m. and I’m sitting down to write my blog post. Yesterday was a long and full day. While I expected today to be a peaceful, at-home day, it didn’t quite make it to that level of serenity.
Sunday night I made my (optimistic) list of what I would accomplish today. Then I didn’t feel great and slept in this morning. Then we had no electricity in the sheep barn or greenhouse, so I was trying to troubleshoot that. Then it seemed I looked up and realized it was 7:45 p.m.
When someone asked me tonight how I was doing, I had to pause a moment and think.
One pasta supper and conversation with two children who weren’t at work.
Two piano lessons taught this afternoon.
Three loads of clothes washed, dried, and waiting for their final destinations.
And I did odds and ends of things in other ways and places – making progress on some, even if I can’t mark them off the list yet.
Tonight I’m reflecting on how a day can fill up with All the Things, some of which are priceless, some mundane, and some obnoxiously annoying. But, each of them is a reason to give thanks. I can be thankful our sons are still at home for meals. I can be thankful for great piano students. I can be thankful that we had on hand the extension cords needed to plug in the greenhouse fan. I can be thankful that, now that they are all driving, our kids can run errands so I don’t have to. I can be thankful for a beautiful day filled with warm sunshine and blue skies.
Tomorrow will be a new day, filled with its own things. May we be people who recognize the gifts we have, and practice gratitude to the Giver of All Good Gifts.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Giving God,
Thank you for the many blessings you pour into our lives. Help us to be people who recognize you as the Giver of All Good Gifts, the One who provides daily for us, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to whom all thanksgiving and praise is due. AMEN.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. (James 1:17 AMP)