Blessed Beyond Measure...Even If I Don't Always Remember It

Reading through my previous post I realized just how blessed I have been in my life. Though I lost my Mom at a young age, I am extremely close to the rest of my family. My youngest sister has become like a daughter to me, though she will deny it. My Dad is one of my very best friends, he's given up so much for me to have the life I do. My other sister is probably my best friend in the whole world. Though we are very very different people I can always count on her when the chips are down. We have two amazing dogs who are always good for a cuddle and a look that conveys gentle patience. I have extended family whom I love dearly and get to visit often. I have great mentors who have helped shape and guide me and have provided me with a shoulder to cry on or a swift kick in the pants when it was needed. My friends are numerous and are always there to give me a hug or bail me out when I get into trouble. I've had the oppurtunity to travel to Africa and South America and experience things I never dreamed possible. It's so easy sometimes to concentrate on the negative things in life (a missed childhood, a lost loved one, financial problems, health issues) and miss out on the blessings we recieve each day. I wake up each morning and look forward to going to college classes and getting an education while many in the world will never know this joy. Though I am away from my Dad and sisters, families here have taken me under their wing and have welcomed me with open arms into their homes. I've been blessed with a great job that's teaching me more than I could have ever hoped to consider. None of these are things I have done on my own. They are blessings.

I sometimes feel I'm the only one who's ever lost someone close, or has felt alone, but that is so very far from the truth. Throughout the ages many people have experienced similar situations and some of them have come out as leaders of our world. It all comes down to my perspective. Am I looking at the glass as half-emtpy or half-full? Can I look past the bad to see the overwhelming good waiting on the other side? I am certainly going to try. You see...I have been blessed...so very blessed. Even if I don't always remember it.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28 (NASB)