So if you’ve read any of my recent posts, you might have picked up on my current “Grrrr” re: study; being time poor; feeling stretched; and so on.

These things are still very much a factor. However, this morning something else factored into the mix.

Counting my blessings.

I began to mention -out loud- as many things as I could of think to be thankful for. E.g.

“Thank you for breath and life.”

“Thank you that I got to speak with my family” – Call Mum, get Dad, G, and the kids free 🙂

“Thank you that I got an appointment close by.”

“Thank you that I managed to get all my errands done.”

“Thank you that I could get cash out.”

“Thank you for the unexpected lunch I got treated to.”

“Thank you that I got the case study done.”

“Thank you for a place to stay.”

“Thank you for some sun on my face…” and so on.

As I did so, I was reminded that amoungst the mad schedule, the feeling a bit sorry for myself, the cold I’d picked up, and the “get me out of here!” there was much to be thankful for mixed in. The “grrr” stuff was just overshadowing it.

When I was younger, I used to sing this song at Sunday School,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

I think it is possibly inspired by these verses from Psalm 103:1-2

My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits (deeds/has done). (CSB‬‬)

A quick search online showed there has been different pieces of research into ‘thankfulness’ or ‘gratitude’. The general theme being that displaying or choosing thankfulness, has proven benefits for our wellbeing. You can read a related article here for a basic overview.

For myself, choosing to be thankful definitely benefitted me. My circumstances hadn’t changed, but my mindset had. I could see another perspective, instead of just being fixated on all the “stuff”. My ‘count your blessings’ moment, was a needed, and welcome interlude.

Related Posts