I am grateful at many levels for the bountiful blessings in my life. Sometimes I don’t see them as clearly as at others, but no matter how bad I might feel in a given moment on a particular day, I am still aware in the back of my mind that I am rich beyond measure. I simply forget or lose sight of this fact. Looking at my life at face value, without having any particular context, someone could think I was struggling. Another person looking at the very same data but from a different perspective could think they’d consider themselves lucky to have the struggles I do. So I suppose that in the end it really is a matter of perspective. And at this moment, the only person’s perspective that matters is mine, and I say that I’m rich.
Periodically I still look at my physical life circumstances and shake my head wondering “how’m I gonna” do the various things I need to do, to take care of the obligations I need to meet, given the means with which I am operating. But in spite of temporary budget shortfalls and the headaches that come with them, no matter how I calculate the pluses and minuses of my spiritual balance sheet, I still come out way ahead. And that is a good thing, even if it sometimes makes me feel like I’ve climbed back on board a mechanical bull of emotions, bouncing and swinging this way and that, up and down, crying and angst-ridden one minute and brimming with gratitude and calm the next. Go figure. So in spite of being tired at the close of this day, I also feel pretty good.
So tonight is one for simple gratitude, and there are many small and not-so-small things for which I am particularly grateful this evening. Here are a few, in no particular order:
- I am grateful as always for the love of family and friends. This evening I spoke to my daughter on the phone, chatting about a variety of relatively minor things. It is one of the great blessings in my life to have children whom I dearly love, siblings and their families whose company I enjoy and whom wish I had more time to spend with, and friends whom I deeply appreciate for their presence in my life. And as ever I am grateful for my four-legged companion from whom I learn so much.
- I am grateful for the abundance in my life. I may cry and worry about financial resources, but I am so fortunate to have a safe and reliable vehicle, a warm, comfortable place to live, sufficient quantities of good and healthy food, and the basic necessities that make life easy and pleasant. I have a job and income, and I am surrounded by material possessions that I know I am fortunate to own. These are things I do not take for granted.
- I am grateful for the learning that takes place in my life several times per day. I make efforts to understand and learn from difficult situations as well as things that are easy. The learning’s not always fun, but it almost always is good.
- I continue to be grateful for the gift of music as it finds its way back into my daily existence. Making music is joyful and fulfilling, and listening to it in my car, at my desk at work, and around the house provides a balm when I’m ruffled.
Tonight as I prepare to take my rest I will do so in full awareness that I am surrounded by blessings. As often as I used to go to sleep and wake up anxious and worried, I relish these days when I am relaxed and wrapped in a blanket of blessing. And even if I wake up cranky and irritable tomorrow, I’ll be no less fortunate than I am today, I will simply have temporarily lost sight of it.
Given that I have fallen asleep a few times in this writing, I’d better take a few minutes to review and then post this blog. Then it’s a few minutes of singing and guitar playing before I sleep. Many thanks to those of you who commented on my blog yesterday and for those of you who faithfully read my ramblings. I’ll be back here tomorrow, God willing, and I hope you join me here. May it be so!
