Ok, so I woke up this morning and stayed in bed thinking, which I don’t usually have the luxury of doing because of my 8:00 Old Testament classes everyday. (Thank you Martin Luther King!) I first thought of how great today is, especially since it’s a holiday, but then I began to realize that I have been so blessed since I came back to the Lord. He really does answer prayers, especially when they are prayers of thanks and true adoration of Him. So, here is my list of things I am blessed with in my life.
- Family:
Practically my entire family is Christian. My immediate family is part of His body, but in my mind my immediate family includes aunts, uncles, 3 cousins, and my grandparents. We are all so close in our relationship as a family that when I was little I had to ask my mom what my immediate family consisted of. I would always put down everyone instead of just my mom, dad, and brother. All in all, my family is such a great blessing to me, and in the past I took it for granted that they were always there to encourage me to come back to my faith I once had. I am blessed with a Christ-loving, close family - Friends:
There are so many people in my life that encourage me to be the best I can be in many aspects of my life. Friends of mine live all over the world and are of many different age ranges. Some are as young as 3 or 4, others are as old as 80-90. When one is in the true Church, friends come from everywhere. I have friends from the North of the USA all the way down to the southern end of the line of the West Indies. I couldn’t ask for more when I have people that care for me in a way that only Christians can care. They encourage you and love you not for who you pretend to be, but for the true self God created you to be. I am blessed with unending encouragement from my peers. - My Boyfriend:
I am so SO blessed to have this man in my life. God smiled upon me when He placed him in my life. I went through rough times with a few past boyfriends, times that caused my faith to fail entirely. I was depressed and lonely. I had forgotten what unity and love existed within the family of the Church, and I thought I was the only one that could suffer like I did when I was with these boys. Now, I am radiant with the feelings of love, not just from my love for my boyfriend, but also for my love of the Lord. It makes such a difference to be with a man who respects you, and who treats you the way God intended a woman to be treated. Worldly men do not subscribe to this way of treating women, but I found a man who loves the Lord more than he loves me, and that shows in our relationship. He reminds me to pray, to study, and to teach. When I have any kind of spiritual issue or question, he knows just the right verse to send me to. I am blessed with his love. - Education:
In general, being educated at all is such a blessing. I love to read, and if I had not been sent to school as a child I never would be here at college studying diligently. God allowed me to be placed in Christian schools since I was in preschool. This edge I got from being part of Christian education has kept me from falling away completely, especially during the tough high school years. Now, I am at the college I did not think I would ever attend, and I am happy I am here because the Lord shines His face upon all the students and faculty here at this school. I am blessed with wit and the power of learning. - Church Homes:
I have always been in the church since I was born, which is a blessing in itself. In most recent years I was located in a church in the Houston area. It was where my family attended and the people there are friendly and loving, full of His spirit and on fire for learning His Word. It was hard for me to be there at times because I went through at time where I didn’t want to believe in the Lord because He seemed so distant and did not seem to have a hand in my life. Now I am in a church here near school and I love it because I chose it to be my new church home instead of family telling me where I should go. The people at the church here are friendly and the services aim to only focus on what God has told us to do. It is so encouraging to be surrounded by new faces, but those new faces are all in the same family set up by the Lord. I am blessed with many different church buildings full of my one large family of Christ.
I hope this list could be a guideline to help you see what blessings you have in your life. I sincerely hope God has blessed you today and you recognized the small things He does for you on a daily basis. Sometimes it is hard to see His blessings, but they are always there for you to find, whether it is a smile from someone you thought didn’t like you, or finding joy in solitude. Don’t let this day go by without finding at least one blessing from Him, because there always is one even if you are struggling right now. Praise the Lord!
Always pray and never give up,
Sarah Michelle
