Counting My Blessings

This morning, I had a rare quiet moment. The kids slept late, Jason was out, and I spent some time with my Bible in my lap and coffee in hand. Surrounded by a pretty big mess.

In the silence, I remembered a favorite song – “Counting My Blessings” by Seph Schlueter. 

Take a look at these lyrics:

{Screenshot from the Promise FM}

As I looked around and considered the song’s lyrics, the room came alive with reminders of each item’s purpose or beginnings. From my vantage point, this is what I could see:

• Jesus Story Book Bible  – for family devotions and Jason’s devotional book (we aren’t perfect, but we strive to know Him more). 
• Alexa – for listening to music and singing (and dancing!)
• Homeschool curriculum books and supplies, library books, and board games.
• My laptop – evidence of God’s working in my life to bring me the best job.
• Our swimming pool – with a million family memories made.
• A handheld game – because last Christmas, money was tight, and I cried and prayed about getting gifts for my kids. God used a friend to give these games to my kids. 
• Bibles and study booklets from the kids’ class we get to teach at church.
• I’m So Blessed book – the copy signed by Cain the day we met them.
• Family pictures on the wall and a painting by Joe. 
• Toy zebras – a gift from Jason’s mom before our wedding (because when his mom asked if we needed anything else, Jason said, “A couple of zebras.” They are part of our family now).
• Children’s books on the bookshelf – a few from my childhood and others from teachers who mentored me. There are also stacks of books that my own children had been reading. 
• A kid’s meal toy – because we go to Wendy’s as a family every Friday night. 
• Our couch – where we spend time together.
• And, of course, my kid’s shoes kicked off onto the floor.

Starting the day with a mess like that can put me in a tailspin. Sometimes, I look around and see so much stuff that it wears me down. But this morning, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. 

I was counting my blessings. 

“One, two, three… up to infinity. I’d run out of numbers before I could thank You for everything.”

We live in a materialistic society. But the real tragedy of materialism (AKA having way too much stuff) isn’t the accumulation of unnecessary things. It’s that those things create noise in our lives where praise should be. 

See, I could’ve looked around this morning and found a lot to complain about. The kids didn’t clean up before bed. One kid broke their tablet. The pool is a headache and so expensive. There isn’t carpet anywhere in this house, and this space is not homey cause it needs a rug. And I am so far behind on homeschool prep. 

But when God cuts through the noise, I look around and assign meaning to what looks like a mess. Then, I begin my day with gratitude rather than grumpiness. 

So give it a try. Take inventory of what’s around you. If you are outside, admire the miracle of creation. If you are home, remember where all good things come from (James 1:17). If you are in a hard place or a time of testing, look for God’s fingerprints in your life. 

Remember, the stuff doesn’t define us (whether we have a little or a lot). God daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19). 

And listen to this song today. 
“I will keep counting my blessings, Knowing I can’t count that high…”