The Little Blessings

I woke up this morning with a grateful heart. Grateful for the little blessings. The blessings that are easy to take for granted as if they are rights and not blessings. Things that often go unnoticed. Small things many people in America take for granted.

On the way home from south Texas one of the buses had a blowout. It took professionals doing roadside service to fix the problem. What we learned left us all grateful. A pair of pliers were run over in the road causing the blow out. Turns out nearly every tire on that bus was 50 pounds low of air pressure. What was only an inconvenience could have been a tragedy in the making. Another little blessing.

Last night I slept in my bed. After a week of sleeping on a Red Cross cot it was a blessing to be able to spread out a little. I appreciated the softness of the mattress, sleeping with my pillows and getting to sleep next to Brenda instead of a room of men and teenaged boys. I enjoyed my covers and the familiar surroundings of my room.

I thanked God this morning for my ceiling fan. I have grown accustomed to sleeping with a ceiling fan on all year long. I like moving air blowing on me. It is a luxury honestly. Another one of life's little blessings I learned to live without this past week.

I thanked God for my own shower today. Instead of a locker room shower shared my dozens of other guys it was nice to use my own private shower. It was nice to have my toothbrush set out in the same old place instead of using my travel shaving kit everyday.

It was nice to walk into my spacious closet this morning to pick out something to wear instead of dragging my suitcase out from under the cot to select clothing. I have more than enough clothes to last me every season of the year no matter the temperature or the weather outside.

I was thankful to sit with my family for breakfast at our table. Everyone was there this morning except Tucker, who spent the night with a friend, and Tanner who is still working and doing summer workouts back at college. We ate amazing food on our mission trip cooked by two volunteer ladies. They did a superb job. It was a nice blessing to eat at my house which I had not done for a solid week.

It was an added blessing to get to talk to Brenda face to face. I told her I have grown accustomed to her traveling with me so much of the time that I missed her more than normal on this trip.

Now I sit at my home office desk typing this. This past week I sat at a cafe table to have my times with God and to write. There is something special about this room. Surrounded by all my shelves of books, stacks of books and boxes of books I feel at home. This is a sacred place. My secret place where I meet with God. I have missed this place. Just another little blessing I do not take for granted.

I also got to spend time with three of my boys today. Just the four of us. I missed Tanner being with us. Brenda and her mother had plans. The boys and I enjoyed some time together. Each time we get to spend time with our fast growing boys is a blessing. I treasure those times and do not take them for granted.

I am thankful that Brenda's car still runs after all these years. I am thankful that we have transportation. Another little blessing I do not take for granted.

I have it better than so many. I saw the cruel hand of a hurricane this past week. I saw homeless people, people on drugs and people just trying to make it through another day. I saw on the other hand, people of privilege and wealth. I saw people with nothing so thankful for any help they received this week no matter how little and other wealthy people unwilling to lift a finger to move a table or brew a pot of coffee. They expected those things to be done for them as they enjoyed their life of leisure.

So many people in this world do not know the luxury of a ceiling fan. All they have for moving air is the hot or cold wind blowing outside through open windows. Some people have no transportation. Not even a bicycle. They walk or ride a bus. Some have no home. They live in shelters or on the streets underneath bridges. Some have no food today. Their stomachs ache and bellies swell from malnutrition. I enjoyed two wonderful meals today already. Some have no family. They are all alone. Nobody calls or seem to care about their wellbeing. Some have no place to worship. They have no spiritual family to enjoy fellowship with nor to receive spiritual nourishment and instruction.  Tomorrow I will enjoy the people fo Heritage Baptist Church.

So many little blessings we take for granted. Stop. Look around you. Instead of finding things to complain about I challenge you to find things to thank God for. You too are surrounded by many little blessings.