Blessings

I have seen several posts on social media sites lately about blessings...remembering blessings, praying thankfulness for blessings, starting each day reciting blessings etc. It is very easy for me to focus on what is not right, what others possess, or what dreams haven't been fulfilled. I often forget how blessed we really are. These suggestions really help me to refocus.

Yesterday our family had the privilege of serving at our local "soup kitchen." It was great! The only member of our family who didn't truly help was our 11month old. However, he brought lots of smiles and joy to attendees, so maybe he did help. We wrapped silverware, helped prepare food and drinks, served food to attendees and helped with clean-up. It was a great family serving experience! But more than that, it reminded us how truly blessed we are.

Although we have tried, our children don't really understand what it means to be homeless; to not have a bed, an abundance of toys and a dresser full of clothes. At times, they may be hungry because of the days events, but thankfully they have no idea what it means to be truly hungry and not have any food. There are also times when they have no friends to play with, but they have not experienced what it means to be deeply lonely. These are all amazing blessings that our family has been given and were reminded of last night by the community we served.

You may not be able to take your family to a soup kitchen or serve the homeless. But I would encourage you to have your family serve in some way. There are many suggestions on the "Let's Serve Together" page and I am sure that you can think of many more creative ways to make an impact. Be prepared to be blessed. If you have never served as a family, be prepared to be blessed just as much as the people you are blessing.

Helping our children see the many blessings they have been given is important to my husband and I. We may never be the richest people when we compare bank accounts, but we desire to have our children see that we are richly blessed. God has provided for us at every turn. No matter how we do it, we should make sure to take time to count our blessings and be truly thankful for all we have!