Bible Memorization (The P.S.)

Can You Name Them?

"Count your blessings, name them one by one 

count your many blessings see what God hath done" 

This is the chorus to a song we sing in church. Come to think of it, I haven't heard it in a while. It's funny how we sing the same songs over and over till they become just so many words on a page, instead of something inspirational, which is what they were intended to be.

Normally I don't make new year's resolutions. I've attempted to the past three years, without much success; the first, made three years ago, was a bust after about three months, which I think is typical (someone please tell me that's typical so I can feel better about it!) Two years ago I wimped out even earlier than that. MUCH earlier.

This year, I decided to go with something a bit easier, and so far much more fun. This year, I'm going to make it a habit to count my blessings.

 

So many times has someone asked, "Who can share an answered prayer? Who can share a blessing they'd received this week?" and I've been unable to answer. Part of the reason for my lack of confidence was the (much mistaken) belief that whomever was asking, and whomever was listening, was looking for an earth-moving experience - a relative was miraculously healed from cancer, or  a five-car pile up happened right in front of me and I just missed it.

Where were my blessings? Where were my answered prayers? Surely there was something, somewhere! I was distressed in the fact that nothing ever immediately came to mind. Not that I had a burning desire to share something; I just wanted know, for my own sake, that the Lord working in my life. I wanted to be able to point to a time and place and say, 'there! that's where He did something for me!". But because I was looking for the BIG things, I neglected to see the small things.

What I wanted to do was not just document answered prayer, which I know many do, and which I seemed embarrassingly deficient in, but to document all the little things I take for granted.

This started with the simple act of wanting to say 'Thank You' for one special blessing I'd received. Thus the 'Thank You' card. Yes, I wrote an actual card to God. It's corny, I know. But this bit of corny grew into something so large I actually had to buy a binder with note-book paper in which keep all my thank-you's.

In the process of this I discovered something wonderful - God DOES bless! (DUH, right?!) It's so very easy to miss the little things, but once you start writing them down, you start noticing them. And one you start noticing them, you start writing even more down, and once you start writing even more down, you start rejoicing in what the Lord has done! It's the greatest snowball effect my life has ever encountered. 

So what's your new year's resolution? Betcha mine's better ;)

Fight the good fight! (By counting your MANY blessings!)

Jenny