Count Your Blessings

When I leave work each day, I cut through the Frist/Union Station Hotel parking lot, and turn left on Broadway across from the Lifeway store. This afternoon, after stopping at the post office to ship two pairs of shoes to some lucky eBay bidders (the first items I've sold on eBay!) I pulled up and waited for the light to turn green.

I spotted a beige hearse parked outside Lifeway, and thought about how if I used twitpic, I could tweet this funny sight, perhaps with a caption like "Lifeway: Biblical Solutions for Life... and Death."

The light turned green. I pressed the gas and lurched forward about six feet before seeing a maroon sedan zooming into the intersection. Fortunately, since I was starting from a dead stop, I was able to brake and quickly stop, and the sedan swerved around the nose of my car. The driver was apparently trying to beat the light, and missed big time.

My heart raced as I continued through the intersection and headed home, thinking about how close I'd come to having my evening ruined and my almost-paid-off car totalled, if not something worse. I drove cautiously, my usual eagerness to get home to see Kate quickly tempered by my desire to get home to see her at all. Times like these are great for counting your blessings.

Maybe I'm the only one, but too often, I find myself dwelling on the negatives in life, the things that aren't exactly as I would wish them to be. I wallow. I complain. This makes my dear husband feel guilty and frustrated, and only serves to ruin both our moods. Then I berate myself for throwing a complaint-fest, which just brings me down further.

There are so many positives in my life, it is a shame that they don't mold my attitude near so much as the negatives. I know I don't express gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life nearly often enough.

Like my precious daughter. I have never known this kind of love. Holy cats, she's amazing! When I look at her, I feel like the Grinch, whose heart swelled to ten times its normal size.

Like my incredible husband. He is far better to me than I deserve. When I behave terribly, he responds in love. He is so sweet to me, and I can only try to be as loving toward him as he is to me. He is an amazing father, partner, pastor, and friend.

Like my wonderful parents. We talk almost every day, and I can always count on their support. I always wanted a sibling, but I think being an only child has made us closer. My in-laws are incredibly generous and loving as well, and all our parents are terrific grandparents to Kate.

Like a roof over my head. The distance of this abode from my work and most of our friends is chief among my complaints in life, but we are incredibly lucky to have such a house, and especially to have it free of charge (as a parsonage). A home is such a basic thing, and yet should never be taken for granted. There are too many that go without it.

I could go on and on, of course--giving thanks for our jobs, for our health, for food to eat and clothes to wear. For the silly little things that bring joy to everyday life--reruns of Friends and good songs on the radio. I am so blessed, and I so often take it all for granted.

What are you thankful for today?