It’s been hot and humid here in Jacksonville the last week. People have been doing a lot of complaining, including me. As humans, we have a tendency to look at the bad more than the good. So I thought with August nearing, maybe we need a 
reminder of all the blessings we do have, including air conditioning.
In Philippians 4:11-12, God wants us to be happy in all our circumstances. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Five blessings. That’s all you need to come up with. And little doubt you can come up with five things God has blessed you with. I know for a fact most of you have clean, running water. That’s more than half the people in the world. In case you’re having trouble, I’ll go first.
1. God has blessed me with healthy children. In fact, I can’t really recall the last time any of us have had something like the flu;
2. In May I received my first grandchild who we consider a miracle. I’m sure you saw that one coming. Didn’t you? For those who don’t know, my daughter was told for years (even from fertility doctors) she’d never have a child;
3. I live in a house with a solid roof over my head. For years my roof leaked, but last September, God gave me a new one.
4. I have plenty of food. Not just rice and beans either. I have fruits, vegetables, red meat, and salmon. Good food. And yes, even some bad.
5. I have a good stable job. Working as a paralegal means, even if something happens where I am currently employed, there’s a good chance I can find work again quite easily.
Those are my blessings. Now it’s your turn. Give me the first five things you can think of. I imagine if you try real hard, you can come up with a lot more.
This might be a good exercise to do whenever we feel like life is against us. God wants us to be joyful and to look at our blessings daily. Some are so common, we don’t even think of them as blessings. These include being able to see what God has created or listen to the sounds in the backyard.
Send me your list. I’d like to help you celebrate what God has given you. I say we make this a week of truly thanking God for what he has blessed us with.
Are you in?
I loved this. So often we focus on the negatives when there are so many positives to be had! Thank you so much for sharing.
PS – Having just found your blog I am about to look into your novels Breathless and Catch Your Breath because the cover art caught my eye and left me so intrigued!
Thanks, Jennifer for commenting. My publisher did do a good job on my books covers, didn’t she?
Yes!!! They’re wonderful 🙂
Just a few of the blessings God has given me:
1. A faithful, loving husband (cankerous sometimes, but I know I can
always count on him and trust him completely).
2. 4 children – 3 by marriage and 1 by birth. God knew I would have difficulty having a child, so when 3 needed a Mom I actually listened
when I was led to meet my husband. 3 years later our daughter was
added to complete our family.
3. A stable home. After moving about 18 times in my first 14 years,
I have been blessed to have the same address for over 43 years.
4. My LOL Sisters. Such blessings in my growth and watching others
grow and step out for Jesus. The opportunities to see God working
in so many lives has been amazing.
5. My grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
6. My Mother, Her Mother, and Her beautiful sisters. I have always had
the rock of stability from these women during my growing up years in an unstable home. Mother’s love was always there and the strength of her Mother and sisters helped me through many difficult times.
7. Good, life friends. Moving so much growing up; friendships were
difficult and short-lived. Now I can look back on my life and know God
gave me 2 wonderful girlfriends that have been in my life over 40 years.
8. Food on the table, a good job. Not necessarily having a lot, but we
have always had what our family needed.
9. Most important, though I have not always followed HIM, God has always been there with me, just waiting for me to lean on HIM and follow Jesus.
I could not stop with five and there are so many more!!
Thank you, Kathy, for giving me the opportunity today to remember so many blessings in my life that God has given me, especially the ones I
have not asked for, that are just there because HE knows I needed them.
Our Father in Heaven loves us so much!!
Wonderful, Darlene that you came up with so many good blessings.