Sometimes we need to see them…

I’m alone in my home and it’s so nice.

No one is trying like the dickens to annoy their sibling, or being snotty to one another in a passive-aggressive fashion.

I’m not hearing the Disney channel or the latest MythBusters episode blaring from another room.

My kids aren’t offering cash to open a present early, and responding in anger when I decline… for the 100th time.

Nobody needs me to solve a problem, make a meal, or be creative with a school project.

It’s just… quiet.

Peaceful.

Slow.

I’m tucked away in my home – just me, holiday music, coffee, and a beautiful Christmas tree – at least a few hours more.

But don’t get me wrong.

~ I love the busyness of Christmas…

~ I love the beauty of Christmas…

~ I love the bustle of Christmas…

Being an introvert though, I really need this time. A chance to unplug from the season and plug into the reason.

For so many, this time of year energizes and excites. It’s rich with expectation. The more the merrier. The bigger the better. The faster the funner.

But for others, it breeds a weary heart. Tricky family gatherings. Tearful memories. Painful realities. Frayed nerves. Cluttered calendars.

And I hate that.

Because those things can make us lose sight of the good.

We forget how God healed our body. Restored a relationship. Infused a dying marriage with love. Changed a heart. Made a wrong, right. Refocused a child. Paid a bill. Pursued a prodigal.

We forget.

But we can’t let that become our normal, because God is good to us all the time. In big ways. Little ways. And ways we don’t even see yet.

We need to remember the good.

Each Thanksgiving, my daughter makes a Blessing Board that we add to through the end of the year. It’s a visual reminder of our gratitude for the things and people in our lives.

Today I sit looking at the board, reading through my family’s thankfulness.

~ Some of these listings make me smile. The Scotts are grateful for things like popcorn, sleep, fly fishing, pumpkin anything, and snowballs.

~ Some cause me to tear up, especially seeing all the names of people listed on the board. I’m glad my family sees value in relationships.

~ Some make me laugh, like the blessing of Miralax. Apparently no one wants to be constipated during the holidays.

Sometimes I just need to see the blessings in life.

This season is about blessings, isn’t it? Family, friends, teachers. School, jobs, ministries, health. Forgiveness, love, and time spent together.

And Jesus.

Always Jesus.

He is the Blessing that blesses.

Our humble board would be blank without Him.

And so I sit here reminded of the many ways Jesus has blessed – richly blessed – me.  Not just now, but all throughout my life. In countless situations. In every way possible. And my heart is so full of gratitude.

Because it all started with Him, didn’t it? God sent Jesus that Christmas morning to save us. To give us hope. To give us life.

… To bless us.

Carey

©2013 Carey Scott

FREE download through December.