The Little Things.

Monday, January 31, 2011
The Little Things. How often do you stop to be thankful for the little things? As I sit here at my kitchen counter in front of my laptop, the sun is almost ready to begin peeking its way over the horizon. We’ve all seen a few beautiful sunrises in our lifetime, right? But todays will be the most beautiful. God has blessed us with another day to serve Him – and to point others to Him. I’m thankful for the sunrise.
When my alarm went off this morning at 4:45, I woke up in a warm, comfortable bed under warm, soft sheets in a warm, cozy house. Sure, it was a little difficult to wake up, and to be honest I would like to have slept a few more hours. But the blessing of waking up for another day is a gift. And the fact that I awoke in such a great situation, in the middle of so many blessings of God, gives me reason for gratitude. I’m thankful for a house and its furnishings.
I’ll be walking out the front door in a moment and climbing into my 2010 Ford Ranger. There are folks that have nicer rides, sure. My little “vroom vroom” as I call it is fairly basic, but it’s more than enough for me. When I put the key into the ignition and turn it, the engine fires right up (mainly because of the blue oval on the front…sorry, couldn’t help myself). No matter what time of the day or night, if I have somewhere I need to get to, this truck will take me. I’ve often taken for granted having a dependable vehicle, but not today. I’m thankful for my transportation.
I’ll jump out of that and climb onto a huge, yellow object that will haul about 65 students to school today. Sure, driving a school bus is loud at times. Sure it’ll try my patience sometimes. And yes, there are times when I’d rather not deal with a large group of loud students from kg. – 12th grade. But God has blessed me with the awesome privilege of having a small part in the lives of some students I would have never otherwise met. Being their bus driver means I get to be there for them when they have a bad day, and just give them a simple smile and “Good morning” each day too. I can also, even if it's in small ways, show them Jesus when they might not otherwise see Him during a normal day. So today I’m thankful for my school bus route.
When that’s over I’m going to be driving on up to Hillcreek, AR where I’ll get to spend a day on the farm with 2 of my nieces, my mom, one of my sisters, and my Uncle Raymond and Papaw. I’ve missed far too many opportunities to spend time with my family, and that mistake is over. I want to eat up any and every chance I have to be with them from this day forward. I’ve been blessed with such an amazing family, and the honor of my favorite title ever – Uncle Blake. I’m so thankful for my family.
So, do you see how that works? We have a lot we can gripe about, sure. There are many things in this world that can draw our complaints from deep within. There will always be something wrong with everything, and we can choose to focus on that. Or, instead, we can choose to zero in on what we have – what God has so graciously poured out upon our lives in His mercy. Today, I’m looking at what all I have to say thanks for. And at the end of the day, I think I’ll have a smile on my face.
Oh, and did I mention I’m thankful for you? Thanks for reading this blog and allowing me to share my heart with you each day. Feel free to pass this blog along anytime you wish. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have some small part in the lives of so many people. So today – be blessed, and be sure to tell the Lord "Thank You" for all the little things...they're not so little after all!


That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

This blog is brought to you courtesy of http://fromblake.blogspot.com. Visit today and sign up to become an official follower!
Feel free to write blake anytime at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com