It's the Sunday following Thanksgiving as I write this, and I am counting my blessings now more than ever before. My husband Bret and I enjoyed a lovely weekend with family down in Kansas City, but heard of two souls' ascentions before we returned to Omaha. The father of a Christian Covenant Group brother of ours and a Sister Sweet Adeline of mine passed away over the four-day holiday weekend--both were age 90, both had a love for The Lord and both will be greatly missed.
Naturally, it's times like these which most vividly highlight our own mortality and the fact we need to make the most of today as tomorrow is never guaranteed. However, having been between jobs over a year following a subsidiary merger--and living a more uncertain life than usual--I seem to be more sensitive to such moments...
Speaking of being between jobs--today, long-time Nebraska Football Coach Bo Pelini has apparently joined those ranks after he was let go this morning. I'm sure this will cause some drama at the water cooler this week...
Another volitile situation going on right now is rioting in the Saint Louis area--as well as a few other large cities across the nation--after no charges were made involving the shooting of an unarmed Ferguson youth. The unfortunate result is more devastation and trashed property, putting many people out of work for the holidays.
Why does it take deaths, destruction and other forms of drama to make us appreciate what we have in this life? I would not wish such pain on anyone, but it does hit home when you see others in these most painful moments of the human experience. Could the takeaway really be as simple as just learning to love each other better? Bret and I caught a television sermon from Lakewood Pastor Joel Osteen of Houston, Texas this morning, where he talked about taking every opportunity to honor each other. I do believe you get more of what you look for in life--whether positive or negative--and I think most people see the logic in that notion, but if so, why aren't we better at looking for the good...accentuating the positive?
My hope is that experiences like these push us to see the good in each other every day--not just at Thanksgiving--and I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season, with more blessings than you can count...but let's keep counting them anyway!
Today's Quote:
"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles."
-- Maltbie D. Babcock
