I’ve been feeling a lot of discouragement lately for all the things my life lacks –
We’ve been looking for a new house for about 4 years. We just can’t find a property that meets our needs.
We probably need a new car that will fit more people so that my kids can invite friends to activities. But I don’t want to do that until we’ve bought a house.
We also desperately need a new dining table. Our current table is just – a problem. Plus, the chairs are all broken and stained and percarious at best to sit on. But I don’t want to get a new table until we get a new house so I can be sure it fits.
And the list goes on and on.
And I was going through this list in my head this morning, feeling the weight of how my life has been on hold and I started to whisper a little prayer in my heart about how frustrated I was, and as soon as the prayer began in my heart, the thought came into my head:
Then count your blessings.
So today I am putting the thoughts of what I lack out of my mind, and focusing instead on the bounteous blessing that the Lord has graced me with.
The first that comes to mind is my home. Clearly it’s not everything I wish for in a home, but it is clean, and simple and holds so many precious memories. I am grateful for having it. Plus, it has so many elements to it that I do love that could be their own points on this list, like my yard and deck.
Also, the cabin. I still feel very personally the blessing that Heavenly Father gave us in our cabin, and all the memories and bonding that has happened as we’ve spent time there. The cabin is a true place of refuge for me and I feel the Spirit strongly when I’m there.
And of course, ahem, I guess it’s obvious, but not to be overlooked, is my family. Wyatt is a great man, and I appreciate his goodness and desire to do right. He’s not perfect, but he’s perfect for me, and he’s someone I’ve always been proud to be with. Also, each of my children. Olivia – her sweetness and kindness still catches me of guard on a regular basis. Calvin – he can always be found making good choices, and he’s proven himself time and again to be one you can count on to do the right thing. Everett – he’s so aware of others, and is our emotional barometer and keeps things real around here. Andrew is so good natured I feel like we don’t deserve him. He never insists that his needs be met above anyone else’s. He just goes with the flow with a happy smile on his face all the while. And Nate brings fun into the family, with his silly grin and wild sense of adventure. He’s one I will have to push myself to keep up with!