Have you ever felt under appreciated or felt like you give so much and no one takes the time to acknowledge or recognize you for the things you do? Sometimes when I give my daughters a treat or something they’ve been anxiously awaiting, they accept the gift and rush off in excitement, squealing with delight and glee. Sometimes, I have to remind them to say thank you. Sometimes I have to emphasize the three second rule- if I don’t hear a “thank you” in three seconds, you lose whatever was given to you.
Like kids, sometimes, we focus on all that is going on around us and forget to appreciate and give thanks and acknowledgement to God for the blessings we do have. Thankfully, God does not use the three second rule or I might lose some awesome blessings.
Even as I write this post, my electricity service is out. The estimated time that we will be without power is 1.5 -2 hours. I could be very annoyed that my projects cannot go as planned, that I will miss a television show, etc. But right now, I am choosing to see the blessings that are in front of me. The awesome quiet in the house that allows me to hear the rain outside, the fact that the television is off and my daughter is reading her Judy Moody book by candlelight (insert my English teacher praise dance here) are my blessings in this moment. Due to the girls fear of being alone, they have chosen to cuddle with mom on the couch. These are wonderfully special blessings that I could have missed if I focused on the wrong thing.
Lord, help me to remember all your benefits. Thank you that everywhere I look you are surrounding me with your benefits: favor, love, grace, mercy, people who love me, friendships, a home and even the little day to day blessings. Help me to see you in the small things. Instead of being a conditional praiser, I want to praise you with all I have all the time- no matter what tough situations I face.
