Blessings Outside In

A stomach bug has been creeping around our house. The blessings, in their usual places, don’t comfort me. The yard cardinals, my growing-tall zinnias, my burning bushes, the squirrels on the sidewalk to my office – even the hammock under the tree.

472. Some days, like stomach bug days, the blessing is the comfort in a blanket wrapped around,

473. the hum of  a galaxy

474. tiredness resting on a soft pillow

475. and the quiet, the sleep.

476. The blessing is in the doing of others –

477. the folding of laundry,

478. the preparing of dinner

479. and the cleaning up.

480. A beet-mango smoothie with ginger soothing after work when anything more is uncomfortable.

481. The comfort in my husband’s hand rubbing my back,

482. one of my sons leaning his head against mine for a sit-down moment.

483. A slow rain on a Sunday that slowed everyone down so much,

484. they just paused beside us on the porch and lingered,

485. repeatedly returning and lingering as we sat there, watching.

486. It amazes me the sweet living in the pause.

I am discovering that some days, the Father’s love letters are written outside of me, in the landscape. On other days, they are written in my heart, like the simmering rejoicing of an answered prayer that fills me up inside.

This week has been a rejoicing week, despite a creeping bug.

487. Rejoicing in answered prayers,

488. in sitting in church with my husband and sons

489. hands reaching, shaking my reserve soldier son’s hand, rejoicing that he is home

490. a very old friend, a spiritual grandfather to my son, speaking blessing over my son, with his words, his hands, his expressions – showing my son God’s amazing love –

491. After a long waiting on which steps to take, God revealing

492. The relief in the revealing

493. The lingering in the quiet with the Father, joyful, smiling, excited and quiet all at once – because He is faithful, amazingly, beautifully Faithful!

494. Faith of God’s mighty power eradicating this creeping stomach bug

“For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33: 4)

Originally posted on Blue Cotton Memory.