Recognizing our blessings is powerful
To use the words thankful or grateful would not come close to the feeling I woke up with this morning. To begin with, I woke up. I am breathing, alive. I woke up in a warm bed, took a hot shower, and had food to prepare for my children. I am thankful for these daily gifts I take for granted each morning.
I woke up next to a wife that was perfectly made for me and me perfectly made for her. A woman who understands that true love desires and deserves work, not just to show up.
I was woken up by two little voices saying “good morning, Daddy”. Our children have made me a better father, man, and human being as they depend on me and my wife to be their foundation as mentors, and leaders, and to set their expectations for life.
I woke up in a country where I am free to pursue my own future and rise and fall based on my own personal decisions. I also have the ability to determine what success, happiness, and joy means to me. A country where men and women wake up in chaos and foreign lands to defend the essence of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to protect me at home.
I woke up surrounded by love from above. With three jobs and a family, my daily routine is defined by the fact that it is never defined. Every day is different and many times what I plan for the day, is unrecognizable from where the day ends. The calm of an all-loving God, that has created a purpose for my life, allows me to focus on larger ideas and not be caught in the trap of small failures or setbacks. The knowledge that my own brokenness does not have to be overcome by some external act to receive the love of God has brought joy and peace to my life. No feeling in life is better to me than the ability to make decisions alongside our Creator, in contrast to looking for approval from any earthly master.
This Thanksgiving, let us be grateful for the blessings in our life. No blessing is too small and the simple acknowledgment of its presence will allow it to grow. Let us also have the wisdom to carry this feeling of being thankful into our daily lives.