Multitude Monday
For ten months, I've listed my blessings each week. Bit by bit, I have been gathering them and it has changed my outlook. Looking for the little ways I am blessed has helped me to see God's hand upon my life.
Upon reflection however, I wondered, "Do I thank God for the things in my life that don't seem to be blessings?" Do I thank Him for the trials? For the inconveniences? For the crises?
The good things are easy, no matter how small. Yet, I very rarely look at the struggles as something to be thankful for. They are more something to try to get through. I view them as lessons but not blessings.
The Lord is His wisdom gave me opportunity to put this into practice immediately.
There is a song called, Blessings, by Laura Story (lyrics and a link are below). It is a wonderful reminder that God's blessings are often disguised. You have to slow down, listen and watch to see them. Perhaps the many sorrows and struggles are God's way of keeping us connected to Him. To help us grow in faith and trust. To draw us to Him.
I feel emotionally beat up this week but I am thankful for those opportunities He provided me to cling to Him and His promises.
Blessings
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
Laura Story:Blessings
Today I'm thankful for Blessings #506-520
♥ A son headed off to camp.
♥ Hurt feelings and being misunderstood.
♥ A solo road trip to a writer's conference.
♥ Bickering children.
♥ Feeling invisible and unimportant.
♥ A garden with healthy looking plants.
♥ Giving something back to the Lord only to have Him return it to us.
♥ A handful of black cap berries; enough for cereal.
♥ An unexpected patch of rhubarb in the woods with just enough to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie.
♥ A refund.
♥ A car that got me home despite an unexpected problem.
♥ Helpful information from a friend.
♥ A dinner with another pastor's wife whom I haven't seen in quite a few months.
♥ Soaking up the sun.
and finally...
♥ Soaking up the SON in a hotel room, alone with the Lord and my Bible.
Upon reflection however, I wondered, "Do I thank God for the things in my life that don't seem to be blessings?" Do I thank Him for the trials? For the inconveniences? For the crises?
The good things are easy, no matter how small. Yet, I very rarely look at the struggles as something to be thankful for. They are more something to try to get through. I view them as lessons but not blessings.
The Lord is His wisdom gave me opportunity to put this into practice immediately.
There is a song called, Blessings, by Laura Story (lyrics and a link are below). It is a wonderful reminder that God's blessings are often disguised. You have to slow down, listen and watch to see them. Perhaps the many sorrows and struggles are God's way of keeping us connected to Him. To help us grow in faith and trust. To draw us to Him.
I feel emotionally beat up this week but I am thankful for those opportunities He provided me to cling to Him and His promises.
Blessings
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
Laura Story:Blessings
Today I'm thankful for Blessings #506-520
♥ A son headed off to camp.
♥ Hurt feelings and being misunderstood.
♥ A solo road trip to a writer's conference.
♥ Bickering children.
♥ Feeling invisible and unimportant.
♥ A garden with healthy looking plants.
♥ Giving something back to the Lord only to have Him return it to us.
♥ A handful of black cap berries; enough for cereal.
♥ An unexpected patch of rhubarb in the woods with just enough to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie.
♥ A refund.
♥ A car that got me home despite an unexpected problem.
♥ Helpful information from a friend.
♥ A dinner with another pastor's wife whom I haven't seen in quite a few months.
♥ Soaking up the sun.
and finally...
♥ Soaking up the SON in a hotel room, alone with the Lord and my Bible.
Terri, your Blessings lists are always a blessing to me also.
ReplyDeleteThe sharing of your blessings is a blessing to me too!
ReplyDeleteI just recently heard that song and I love it. I know He can do a good work with things we don't see as blessings right away.
Have a lovely week,
Sharon
Wonderful to see the blessings in trial. A heart submitting to God. LOVE!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have been so aware of those things that seem "not good" and counting them in with my thank you's for the week. I've looked over my list many times, and there is not one thing there that seems hard, or a disappointment, or a sad thing. Yet, I'm so quick to count the "good" things. I love that song so much. I play and replay it over and over. Thank yo so much for such a great post! It was a blessing just to have been here!
ReplyDeletevisiting from Ann's . . . had a similar week of hard graces :) Thank you for posting the song. . . blessings, Dear One
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time here- through the "Thousand Gifts" blog. Your posts are very sweet!...very much a blessing for me to start my day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your gifts!