Weighing Your Life
At the Pursue Joy Worship Night last Friday we all spent time writing two lists. And as I wrote my lists I found myself overcome with emotion.
The first list was a list of all our blessings. Little things like comfortable homes and reliable vehicles. And really big things like health, and family, and friends. And super big things like God’s forgiveness, grace, and a second chance.
The second list was a list of trials, difficulties, and broken things. The point was to give thanks FOR the blessings, and give thanks IN the difficulties, based on God’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
To be able to thank God in the midst of difficulties is powerful. But to be reminded of the countless ways God has blessed me…well that one took my breath away. It’s probably something we could all stand to do a lot more often. Like, maybe, once or twice a day! It reminded me of an old hymn we used to sing when I was growing up:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
(You can read the rest of the lyrics here.)
It’s amazing how that little exercise starts to breathe joy back into our life. It’s like the blessings go on one side of the scale and the junk all goes on the other side. And when we start weighing the blessings, they ALWAYS outweigh the junk. Why don’t you take 10 minutes right now? Take a piece of paper. Make two columns. On one side put the blessings. On the other the junk. And it will surprise you what “the Lord hath done.”
-Pastor Mark
P.S. Lent started yesterday. If you’d like to follow along with what some of us at Seneca Creek are doing to use this time to connect with God, check out last week’s post.
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Posted on February 23, 2012, in Uncategorized and tagged Blessings; trials; difficulties; gratitude; thankfulness. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
Living in faith, hope and Love 
I just had to respond, even though I missed that part of Pursue. It’s not meant to be a ‘spiritual’ response, even though it might come off as that. So here goes… The blessings I received, that I find myself coming back to again and again are the opportunities I’ve had to be a part of people’s lives as they meet Jesus and grow in their relationships with Him. Often it’s in the middle of their trials, but not always. To see Jesus break through, to see that spark of hope catch as they experience God’s compassion and His faith in them. To see their desire for an intimate and deeper relationship stirred up and actually happening. That’s the amazing privilege God’s blessed me with in moment after moment. The honor of ‘tagging along’ as the Holy Spirit ministers as only He can – that’s the blessing that humbles me and fills me up. Gives me a glimpse of what Jesus meant when He said He had a different food, that His bread was to do the will of the one who sent Him. Leaves me speechless and wanting others know what that feels like.