Basic Question. And Basic Answers.

 Basic Question. And Basic Answers.

 

What has made you the most grateful in your life? We have many blessings, but what gift of the spirit has made you feel the most blessed?

Well, Carla Beard was gracious enough to tell us that she is blessed and thankful for forgiveness. YES! So necessary to the foundations of peace and happiness.

 

We are blessed in so many areas of life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. EACH of us has reason to be thankful of for physical blessings: sight, hearing, taste, feeling, speech, and just every aspect of health. We can usually walk, talk, chew bubblegum, listen on the phone, drive, cook, clean, and enjoy life as a human being. Some of us have more mental acuity than others; while some of us have to take that extra minute or hour to figure out the most basic math problem. Being able to read and listen to music or to something we want to hear, that is a major blessing. Some of us are emotionally sound and calm; while others have problems with dealing with any kind of stress or unhappy situations. Then there are the spiritual blessings that we are all given that have made the difference in all other areas of our lives. Yes, forgiveness. Faith that is not based on ourselves but upon God and His promises. The trust that comes from that basic faith—the knowledge that God never breaks a promise. The acceptance of who or what we are NOW that can be changed over time, no matter where we once were.

 

Waking up to hear the birds sing, the chickens squawk, the dogs bark, the neighbors leaving for work, and the day coming to life again with the sunrise is such a blessing to an old woman—to everyone if they are so inclined to notice. Each day we choose what we want to notice and appreciate. It is mostly our choice. And how we perceive problems in a day is also a choice. Happiness or depression can be accomplished—yes, accomplished is the correct word—by our choices. When we have physical pain, it is easier to become depressed, but we have to see ourselves as an entire person and see the best in attitude. We all have days when it would be so much easier to just cry or growl, but we have to realize that it is ONE day in one week in one year. Five years from now, if we are still alive, we may have an entirely different outlook on life. For that matter, tomorrow may be a totally different way of feeling and seeing!

 

Let us pray for one another and all our children that we and they can have the right attitudes about life—with gratitude.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.