Monday, November 23, 2009

Counting Blessings

This week I'd like to share some of the things I am thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving. This was an article I wrote that appeared in the family column that I write for our community newspaper. The explosion I refer to is the one I posted about.


Counting Blessings

In light of all the recent events in our community, as well as those that fill the news each night, I’m feeling very blessed and thankful this holiday season. I know there is plenty out there I could focus on and not feel much gratitude towards, but I’m determined to count my blessings instead. I’m determined not just for myself, but for the sake of my children.

My kids have seen the terrible damage the explosion did to our community. They go to bed at night and question me about what happened and why. They see snippets of the news and realize a man wearing a uniform has killed his comrades, and all in a place where they should be safe. They wake up some mornings complaining of restless nights and bad dreams. They know of young people who are struggling with life-threatening diseases and worry what will happen to them. For as hard as I might try I can not protect them from the happenings of this world. So instead I tell them to count blessings.

The explosion was terrible yes, but what blessings came from it? We can start listing them. The community came together to help one another, brave men and women rushed in to save lives and homes, our family realized how lucky we were to have a roof over our heads, and the list goes on and on. With each situation we concentrate on the good things that happened or came out of it. We count our blessings and we are thankful for all we have been given, the good and even some of the bad.

This Thanksgiving as we sit down to our meal and join hands with our loved ones we will each take a turn to share some of the things we are most thankful for this year. We will call to mind the little things as well as some very big things that have altered our life. We will count our blessings, and set aside our worries, frustrations, and complaints. We will bow our heads and thank God for his many blessings.


Happy Blessed Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

6 comments:

Aimee said...

So true, Kara!

Have a happy thanksgiving!

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you. We celebrated last month as Canadian. It's definitely a time to think of all the positives.

Jill Kemerer said...

I'm sorry your children are having to deal with this. They're very blessed to have a mom who dwells on the positive.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Terri Tiffany said...

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with even many more blessings!! Enjoy the time with your family!

Kara said...

Thanks everyone! Eileen I forgot you were in Canada, I guess my Happy Thanksgiving was a little late:)

Nancy said...

You are right, it's so important to look at the good and forget about the bad sometimes. I want to make every day a day like that, where I am thankful and rejoice in the good.