Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has many - not onyour past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
Charles Dickens

It has been a sunshine day, literally and figuratively. After a long week of miserable weather, the sunshine was a welcome relief and I could feel my body thawing a little. There is something about the way the sun feels that just makes me happy. I can feel it bubbling up almost. Even in the worst dog days of summer when I can watch the sun dance across the lake, I am a happy camper. Today was no exception. Even with the crud residue, which has left me with a voice that sounds raspy and the mostly delightful cough that follows every giggle, the sun made me happy.

The day was peopled with happy people too. Lots of new faces participating in programming, a clean house and a good weekend ahead of me, most of my conversations were fun and my issues were minor. It was just a golden day and I think it was appreciated because the last couple had been more dark grey in nature. Sometimes you don’t appreciate the color contrast if you don’t get deep shades of both.

I am reflecting on my blessings. They are many and I don’t ever forget how much I have been given, but I am at times guilty of wishing for more. I had a gentleman at the end of a conference ask me if I was satisfied with the number of folks who turned out and I said, were there empty seats? Then I am not satisfied! It’s not that I am not grateful for those who are there; I would just always like more. I know that this is not necessarily a bad thing. I think I am, in part at least, as I was intended to be and that drive and passion for moving higher and better are spiritual gifts. I also know there is a corruption of that gift that can easily make it out of control and a huge stumbling block. So, I try to give thanks for it and ask God to direct it carefully and specifically.

A blessing is the brief return of the middle child from his exile in North Carolina.
How funny that the time has arrived when the kids come to visit. It is a strange mixture of satisfaction in achieving one’s goal as a parent, raising a child to independence, and a sad longing for the little dependent fellows they once were. I am enjoying the adults some of my children are becoming, and find the new relationship is sometimes awkward and hard to negotiate. Respecting their rights as adults and remembering the natural instincts to nurture and guide and protect sometimes make the communication challenging. Those sentences that start with the urgency to communicate instruction that must be stopped mid word when it is remembered that one is no longer in the advisory mode make one sound illiterate.

Another blessing is the gift of time with friends the last couple of weeks. I think the barrenness of last year in terms of fellowship and community has been made the return of it this year especially delightful. I feel like a real person again (wonder if I thought I was a pretend one before). Good to have lunch with friends, good to be in a bible study again and hear insights and encouragements from fellow travelers who are going the same way. It is very good to laugh about the same thing at the same time, and breathe in the joy that comes from having a shared moment.

The real blessing is that as I think about misfortunes, past and present, I realize that while they certainly leave a mark behind that reminds me of the experience, I have many more marks made by a particular blessing in my life. Those who have loved me through the years have certainly left a deep impression in my heart and mind that those who have not cannot quite reach. And all of the negative experiences have been and are being redeemed day by day. God produces fruit in the places we often think are barren. This is yet another blessing to add to my list.