2

How easy it is to take blessings for granted. Like this bowl of cottage cheese and blackberries. 

Last Sunday our church assembled 155,000 meals to be shipped to an orphanage in Zambia. Enough to feed 400 children for a year. A scoop of rice, a scoop of lentils, and some dried vegetable flakes packed into a bag barely larger than an oversized Sandwich Baggie. This will be their same meal every day of the year, and each bag will feed six people. 

The image of those bags has left a lasting imprint in my mind. I see a glimpse of God's grace in the abundance and variety of foods I have access to, as well as in how much more is on my plate even when I think I've just served myself a small portion.

1

Not long after the death of my husband, I was mugged in an elevator of our apartment complex. Although I managed to escape unharmed, I started having serious concerns about my mortality, and was consumed with fear that I would not live to see my children grow up.

Posing with these two great-grandsons--one about to turn 13--was an extra blessing to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving day.  It was a reminder that by the grace of God, not only did I see my own two children grow up, get married, and have families of their own, but I've also been blessed with seven grandchildren, and four great-grands.

STARTING OVER?

On October 20th, 2013, I set up this blog to help raise me out of the doldrums. "Whether I post daily or not," I wrote, "my intention is to find 365 positive things to write about as I look for glimpses of God's grace throughout my day." 

There were so many of those glimpses, I could easily have written a post a day and completed what I set out to do in a year. Instead, it took me two-and-a-half years to even make it to 84.  After that I stopped writing about them, and I can't remember why.

As I read through the 84, I questioned whether I should just delete the blog, pick up where I left off, or start all over again. Not wanting to do anything in haste that I might later regret, I've decided to sleep on it.

84

While looking for something in the pocket of my Bible cover and feeling frustrated that it wasn't there, I made an amazing discovery.  Someone had slipped in a $25 American Express gift certificate when I wasn't looking. Talk about an unexpected surprise. 

83

This clunky boot is on my left foot, so I am still able to drive.

Having to wear it has entitled me to the luxury of a handicapped parking permit.

Kind friends and neighbors dug my car out for me when it snowed.

82

For several days I'd been meaning to make soup for a friend in my complex, but never got around to it until today.  Then it started raining and I didn't know how I would get it to her since I can't walk in the rain with the boot on my foot.  However, God had the timing and the details all worked out.

He knew my neighbor would be home with two sick children today and that it would be the best time to surprise her with a home cooked meal.  He also knew it would be raining, and I would need help delivering it.  The solution?  He sent our maintenance man over to do some repairs in my kitchen, and while he was taking care of them, the soup was done. When I told him who it was for, he said he was headed to that building next, and could take it over for me

81

Today I was feeling discouraged about the pain in my heel, the doors that have unexpectedly closed in my face, and all the things in my life that aren't the way I'd like them to be.  It was also the day God cheered me up by sending me flowers.

 You see, last October, when a friend's daughter was recovering from serious surgery, I was able to lend a helping hand by driving her son to school, and my God who sees the end from the beginning, knew way back then that a January morning was coming when I could use a happy surprise.  And so it was, that on this particular day, instead of any other, He laid it on my friends' heart to bring me a beautiful bouquet of roses to thank me for what I had done.