Multitude Monday

As I sat down to write this today, I realized that I was going to hit the 4,000 mark on my list of blessings. To be honest, it's far more than that since I only started numbering them a year into writing them down weekly.

4,000 reasons to be joyful. 4,000 reasons to be grateful. 4,000 reasons to wake up every day and know that God is watching over me. Some of those blessings weren't happy things, but they were teaching things. They were ways that I've been stretched through trials.

And that's the  point of blessings. They don't always come packaged up in a pretty bow and warm your heart. Sometimes they are trials that occur and yet, through the trial, a lesson is learned or I've grown. And that is what makes it a blessing and another reason to be thankful.

I'm thankful I started doing this years ago. It's been a good exercise for me. I am blessed.

This week I'm thankful for blessings #3,991 - 4,000

3991. I have accomplished almost everything on my very long list that I made the other day.

3992. Moments of happiness while I bake and listen to Christmas music.

3993. Little ones who did a great job singing in church yesterday. I've only had 2 kids in my Sunday School class, but decided to at least let them attempt to sing in the morning service. So I picked a couple of simple songs and we practiced every Sunday for the past three weeks. They mostly shook instruments and moved their mouths with very little sound coming out but, 1) they were cute and 2) they got up and did what I asked of them, and 3) the audience loved it.

3994. God's provision.

3995. Cards of encouragement from different people.

3996. The beauty of snow.

3997. The excitement of gift-giving.

3998.  Emily was able to get some of her housing $ back after moving off-campus and into her own apartment.

3999. A good talk with my uncle, Mom's brother. I've been able to reconnect with him through the death of my mom.

and finally...

4,000 reasons to say, "Thank you!"