Numbers! The thought of doing anything with numbers fills some people with dread, for others it's a skill they find easy. But maths and numbers are important, whether we like it or not. Even as young babies we start learning through number songs, and of course schools spend much time teaching maths. Numbers are a part of life that we can't get away from.
As we go through life we continue counting: have we got enough money to afford the toy we want, a holiday, a new carpet, to put the heating on? We count our grey hairs when they arrive, although some of us lost count long ago!! We count calories. We count our steps. We count how many days left until an event. We count how long we've been waiting to see someone. You get the picture. Numbers and counting matter.
But how often, in the busyness of life, do we stop to count our blessings? Even in the middle of our greatest troubles there are blessings to be found. I have visited folk who have been very unwell in hospital who have felt blessed to have the bed by the window so they can see the sky. Some have even told me that they are happy to look out over the car park, because even that evidence of human activity is better than staring at a blank wall.
When we shift our focus to look for blessings, we are looking out for God. We can look for the snowdrops popping up in the verges. We can be thankful for online shopping when we can't get to the supermarket. We can be blessed as we watch the joy on the face of a toddler splashing through puddles in their wellies. We can be blessed by having a cup of tea with a friend. There are always blessings to be found.
In Matthew 5:3-12 we read The Beatitudes. Beatitudes (or supreme blessings) are bold statements given by Jesus in order to help us establish the kingdom of heaven on earth, and these will in turn bring true peace and freedom for anyone who chooses to follow Jesus and become one of His disciples. Maybe you can find a quiet moment to read these verses and reflect on them; perhaps this is the most important one:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God -
Matthew 5:8
An old hymn (from 1897) goes like this:
When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Over the coming weeks as you count your steps, your calories or your pennies, take time to count your blessings also. When we choose to recognise our blessings, we shift our focus and move closer to God.
Nigel