Common, Everyday Blessings

Saying Grace

“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness—just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.” 

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

~Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Vol. One: On Wisdom and Virtues

Painting ~ Saying Grace, Cottage Interior,  George Smith 1829-1901

Counting a Few Blessings

Our move to our new home (and state) has gone very smoothly. A few bumps here and there, like trying to get our driver's license transferred, but all things considered, we've had a smooth transition. I was thinking as I was out grocery shopping today that people have been so friendly and helpful. It's almost as if they're glad we've come. It's a nice feeling as we've been out and about to be greeted with genuine warmth. As I struck up a conversation with the check out gal at the grocery store this morning, she said, "Welcome to Paradise." Well, that's quite a stretch, but we're enjoying living here.

Another blessing that I'm thinking of this evening is our small k-group that meets in a home on Wednesday evenings for prayer and discussion of the pastor's Sunday exposition. We're very much enjoying getting to know some new friends, and appreciate how they've reached out and welcomed us to the group.

A major blessing is being able to live near my parents and sisters and interact with them in just the everydayness of life and to be a support for one another. This is a big change for us as we've not had family around for several years.

Certainly many blessings to count.

Graphic ~Numbers in Different Colors, jannoon028 freepik.com

Just Waiting in the Mailbox

As I pulled out of the driveway Saturday morning, our mail carrier had stopped to let me out so she could pull up to our mailbox. I thought about pulling back in to get the mail before I left, but decided that I could just pick it up as I returned from my errands. 

I began to think about what a blessing that was, knowing that our mail wouldn't be stolen as it just waited in that little box by the driveway. I read a post the day before by a dear grandma who had sent gifts to her grandchildren who live in a country where parcels are opened and confiscated. Gifts she had so carefully chosen and packed would not arrive. As she put it, "joy stolen."

I thought back several years ago to when we lived in Venezuela during a two-year temporary assignment with my husband's job. Our things were often 'confiscated' as well. Even little socks with ruffles that a friend had sent to our little girls, some other little girl would wear. So, okay, she maybe needed them more, but they were gifts from friends, and stealing is stealing. There's more to stealing than the things stolen. Whenever we'd fly in and out of the country, our bags were rummaged through at customs. If they liked it, they would take it. On one trip back into the country from a brief vacation, a lady in front of us struck up a conversation and told us to follow her through the line and not to say anything. We didn't understand what she was saying to the customs agents, but we were motioned on through without our bags being pilfered. Turned out she was a government official of some sort who had a soft heart for our little family. God's care is sometimes very evident, and we got to keep what we had on that trip back into Venezuela.

So as I drove on down our street Saturday morning, I counted another blessing--living in America where we can leave our mail in a little box at the end of the driveway and have it wait for us there throughout the day. 

Would love to hear about a blessing you're counting today, dear one, as we look upward to the One who sends all good gifts. 

HomewardThoughts@gmail.com

New Joys to Fill Empty Hands

Fishin' with Grandpa ~ Jorgen Sorenson

This week has seen three funerals related to our church family. Loved ones are gone, and there is much sorrow. Miles separate many who came together for just a few days to comfort one another. I think especially of the young fella of about ten or eleven years of age who came halfway across the country to play his mandolin for his grandfather's funeral. With our pastor accompanying on the guitar, he played strong and clear, playing for the memory of his dear grandpa who loved to play the guitar himself. Perhaps they'd played together just like this on summer visits. Undoubtedly, they'd gone fishing because his grandpa loved fishing, too. Before the funeral was over, the young fella was weeping on his own father's lap.

Death brings sorrow that lingers. Blessings have gone away, yet God is preparing other joys. J.R. Miller offers comfort in that thought..........

"Sorrow makes deep scars; indeed, it writes its record ineffaceably on the heart which suffers. We really never get over our deep griefs; we are really never altogether the same after we have passed through them—as we were before.

"We should remember that the blessings which have gone away are not all that God has for us. This summer's flowers will all fade by and by, when winter's cold breath smites them—we shall not be able to find one of them in the fields or gardens during the long, cold, dreary months to come—yet we shall know all the while that God has other flowers preparing, just as fragrant and as lovely as those which have perished. Spring will come again, and under its warm breath the earth will be covered once more with floral beauty as rich as that which faded in the autumn. So the joys that have gone from our homes and our hearts—are not the only joys. God has others in store just as rich as those we have lost, and in due time he will give us these to fill our emptied hands."

~ J.R. Miller
Grace Gems

God's Ongoing Act of Creation

Went to a baby shower this evening and was reminded of the awesome privilege as a woman to participate in God's ongoing act of creation. Setting this means of creating life in motion in Genesis 1, God has chosen to create a brand new human being through the miracle of human birth!

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." ... and God saw everything that he had made and it was very good.

All God does is very good, and the way he does it is very good. God does all things for his glory and our good. One of the ways he has chosen for us to glorify him is through his plan of creating new children, to magnify and exalt the wonder of it all. For his glory, and for our good. 

"And God blessed them." Children are God's blessings to us. They are his gift to us. Every good and perfect gift comes from him (James 1:17). I recently heard a new father remark that he had no idea being a daddy would be so awesome. And a new mother agreed that a baby opens up a completely new dimension to life. Not that it's an easy gift to have responsibility for, but one that we can glorify God through. One of God's good and perfect gifts, blessing us in ways we would not know otherwise. I'm so thankful to have participated.

A third little blessing coming soon to this young mother we honored this evening. God does all things well. 

Painting ~ The Crib, George Goodwin Kilburne 1839-1924