Count Your Blessings

"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done." Psalm 105:5

We could paraphrase this verse, "Count your blessings." But over what area shall I look? In my musings, I came across an old title this week: The Botany of a Railway Station. It was a book without consequence, but the obscure title caught my eye. Flipping through it, the botanist¹ pointed out beautiful flowers growing amid soot and grime, in corners and between cracks. In other words, places no one would ever look for beauty. 

It reminded me that I must diligently search every corner of my life. In doing so, I find Forget-Me-Nots on many a dusty road. I saw Baby’s Breath in the ditches of my disappointment, Lilly’s of the Valley in my darkest ravines, and the Rose of Sharon in my driest desserts. 

"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done." This is what we are called to do. He has borne our sins and carried our sorrows. He has subsumed the wrath of God due to us for sin. He has removed all enmity so that there is now only peace. 

In remembering his first Advent, there are many ways to remember His marvelous works for me. Dear one, count your blessings. Look in the unusual places of your life. Look among your disappointments and defeats; search diligently among your sins and failures, sadnesses and heartaches. If you are looking, you will find many flowers of His planting. Count them.

1. A botanist is a plant scientist.