Counting Your Blessings

Counting Your Blessings

That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long.

Psalm 71:8

A friend of ours told us about her three-year-old son, Justin, and his creative tactics for staying awake past his bedtime. Asking for the traditional glass of water was child’s play for this youngster. He was known to request the slight dimming of a light in his room, or even a minor adjustment on his humidifier. On one particular night, the bedtime rituals had extended longer than the allotted time, and Justin’s requests had gone beyond the second drink of water and more stories. But our friend and her husband were soon caught off guard when Justin yelled from his room, “Can three people fit in a big bed?” When they answered yes, he said, “Okay, I’ll be right over.”

Children can be our greatest cause of annoyance and yet our greatest source of blessing. If you have little ones at your home, like we do, you know just what we mean. But whether you have children or not, you know how easy it is to focus on our annoyances, whatever they might be, rather than our blessings. That’s why we love the suggestion somebody recently gave us for falling asleep. Instead of counting sheep, they suggested counting your blessings. Talk about sweet dreams! Isn’t that a great idea? We’ve found it to be a helpful bedtime practice whether it’s designed to prevent insomnia or not.

So as you slide between the sheets tonight, take a moment to note the things you are grateful for. Take a moment to count your blessings. In fact, just consider the last forty-eight hours and what you’ve encountered in your life that you’ve probably taken for granted, even though it was a great blessing. Share with your spouse, in specific terms, what these things might be. Perhaps it’s the gift of living in a free country, using mind-boggling technology, enjoying the simple beauty of your garden, listening to beautiful music, or the comfort of a home-cooked meal. Take a moment to note as many blessings as you can from your last two days, and thank the God who gave you those blessings. Counting your blessings will go a long way in helping you enjoy the blessing of a good night’s rest.

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

—Eric Hoffer