Last night Randy and I went outside about 10:30 to walk Oliver before calling it a night. As we were walking, I was glancing at my phone to look up something on Google to get information about something we had been talking about. As I finished reading the article, I stopped walking and turned to look at Randy to be sure he had just heard what I had said, when he didn’t respond to me answering his question. As I stood there in the middle of the street (trust me, where we live, you never have to worry about having a car come down the street after 10 as everyone here is tucked away in their little houses as we live in an over 55 community) all of a sudden I was shocked to see a shooting star past right over us. It thrilled me to see this rare sight, as I had not seen one in probably over 30 years. All of a sudden it dawned on me that had I been still looking at my phone, which is a constant habit, I would have missed this beautiful sight. It made me think of how many other “shooting stars” had I missed when I had my eyes glued to my phone or a TV.
A dear BFF of mine had given me a book a few years ago called One Thousand Gifts. This new season of my life has allowed me to sit and begin reading it. It is so easy to sit and read a action packed book, but a book which is full of words which makes you stop and think and sometimes convicts you, well, I tend to not pick those types of books up so fast. But as this new journey of ours has slowed us down a bit, I knew that this was a book which I should be reading and taking to heart. The author made a list of 1000 things she is thankful for. After reading her story, I began to think about how many times a day do I truly stop and thank God for blessings, both large and small. Two weeks ago, Randy and I stopped to talk to a new friend at our church. How we began to talk about saying thanks for blessings, I truly do not know, but Rick ended up telling us that years ago a friend of his told him something that had stayed with him all these years and it was this:
“What if we woke up and only had the things around us which we had remembered to give thanks to God for? What would we have around us?”
BAM! It made me really stop and think about what had I been remembering to give thanks for? After remembering the story in the Bible about the 10 lepers which Jesus healed and only one of them coming back to thank Jesus, I began to pray that I would be like the one leper which came back. That I wouldn’t get caught up in the routine of each day, just going through the motions but would recognize that each day God gives me is an opportunity for Him to use me. The shooting star last night made me also think about how much I must miss having my eyes glued to a phone or a TV.
In this season when we are constantly being reminded that we are entering a season of “giving thanks”, it is my prayer that my eyes will be open to other “shooting stars” that pass by me and then to remember to give God thanks for all the times and ways He has blessed me. That this will not just be another year of bowing my head on Thanksgiving day to thank Him for “all the great things He hath done”!
Heavenly Father, thank you for all the “shooting stars” which you allow to pass over my life. May I ever be mindful of your faithfulness and your mercy. Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless Your Holy Name.
Psa 57:9-11″I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your stedfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.”
Chocolate Castles as wel 