Multitude Monday: The Smallest of Graces

-


We are so prone to discontent. We look at other people's lives and think, "If only..." The problem with that is that it just continues to feed our discontented souls. And the problem with social media is that people can crop out the bad parts of their pictures and make everything look perfect. You can begin to believe everyone else has it altogether which causes us to want to crop out the bad parts of our lives. 

What if we were to take our eyes off of others and start looking around at what we have. What if instead of thinking, "If only...," we thought, "Thank you, Lord" Thank you for this moment right now in front of me. Thank you for how you are working. Thank you for what you've given me. Thank you for this hard moment because that is what is keeping me clinging to you and that is how you will work in my life. Thank you for this grace.

I believe we would find ourselves less discontented and more joyful. Because there is joy in the small things. Joy in the scent of a flower. Joy in the giggle of a child. Joy in soaking in a cool breeze after a hot day. Joy in a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Joy in seeing God work through our hard things.

I want to be a woman who says, "Thank you" often. But that will only come if I stop looking at others' lives and thinking, "If only..." May we be people who are grateful for what is right in front of us each and every moment of the day.

This week I'm thankful for blessings #3,901 - 3,915

3901. Facetime calls with my daughter.

3902. The times when I can make a big breakfast for everyone.


3902. And the times when I can have breakfast for dinner.


3903. My guys all together again.

 

3904. Quick answers to prayer. It doesn't always happen that way so I'm thankful when it does.

3905. An encouraging time with ladies from a local church as I spoke there.

3906. The beauty of wildflowers.


3907. My knee made a popping sound the other day as I was walking down my stairs and I was unable to put any weight on that leg. I'm thankful that three days later it's only a bit stiff and I'm no longer in pain.

3908. The beauty of wide open spaces.


3909. An unexpected check in the mail that will help with Emily's school bill.

3910. Curling up with a good book at night.

3911. The joy in doing what I love.


3912. Worship with other believers.

3913. Relaxing Sunday afternoons. 

3914. I'm thankful for those hard times I had this week for I saw God working through them.

and finally...

3915. The smallest of graces.

Comments

  1. LynnAugust 25, 2020 at 2:54 AM

    "If only's " are very destructive. I enjoyed reading this post. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love your comments and encouragement! I can't always respond back but do read each comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Oh What to Do; I'm Sixty-Two!

-
Image
Today is my sixty-second birthday and it's hard to believe I've achieved that....um....seasoned age! My first thought this morning was one of not being sure that I like it. However,  as I thought I about it, I decided to take joy in the fact that I've reached an older age. Because age comes with benefits. Benefit #1 - I'm a bit wiser.   When I look back at some of the decisions I made when I was younger, I cringe. With age has come the ability to slow down and think things through before I make major upheavals in my life. I've also discovered that getting worked up about certain things is just an absolute waste of emotional energy. Benefit #2 - I'm enjoying my life.   As I've aged I've learned all kinds of skills and hobbies and can honestly say that I'm never, ever bored. I love all the different things I'm able to do and it's fun! Benefit #3 - I've learned to appreciate my relationships. With age I've learned to work on developing a...
Read more

Eating to Live

-
Image
  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...
Read more

When the Unexpected Pops Up

-
Image
On Thursday afternoon, just as Dan and I were getting ready to leave for a meeting, we received a phone call from our son. He was sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine in his car. The problem is he lives 3 1/2 hours away. After back and forth phone calls he called a tow truck and got it towed to a garage. He ended up renting a car and headed here for the holiday. We've been working with him to figure out his next steps because he still owes thousands of dollars on the car which will also take a significant amount to replace the engine. His rent is going up in the new year. His seasonal job ended and he is trying to find something else, but needs a car for that to happen. His car still has not been looked at by the mechanic. It is all more than a little overwhelming. Long story short, we extended an invitation for him to live here temporarily so he can get out from under all of this. It would save him money on expensive rent and utilities.  The timing was right since h...
Read more