Counting My Blessings (Unwillingly)

I told a friend that this had been a "bitter" year for me. You readers have gotten to see a lot of this so I won't go in to further detail.

I will explain however the kick in the pants that I got a few weeks after making this statement. You see, I just happened to run across a collection of verses on "Joy" and  it dawned on me that many of them were not suggestions. They were commands.

And I was reminded of a quote I discovered several years ago:

"Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else's fairy tale."  ~  Wale Ayeni (no idea who this person is but I like the quote)

I may not feel like counting my blessing but nevertheless, God has told me to do so and I believe it is because when I do, I tend to have a change of attitude.

Compared to many other peoples' my year was not that bad. After all, I started water-coloring, picked up the ukulele, got certified as a Master Gardener, began counseling at the local Crisis Pregnancy Clinic, reconnected with an old friend, and traveled to several new states. All of that and I still have a quarter of a year left for more exciting things.

When I really sit and think about it, God has abundantly blessed me with some wonderful things this 2017 and instead of spending my time complaining about the bitter parts to my friends, family, and blog readers I should devote my energy to thanking the Lord for His gifts and using them to serve others.