Sometimes our blessings are so obvious. My goal with this blog and challenge for myself is to find something every day for the next year to be grateful for. Yesterday was more of a challenge to recognize the Lord's hand. I was grouchy! I felt overwhelmed! I was truly tired! When I finally went to bed I couldn't sleep! So this morning I wasn't too optimistic. I tried something a little new today.
A friend told me about a conference they were at where Sister Julie B. Beck was the speaker. She invited the sisters in the meeting to pray when they first wake up, while all things are still quiet (her kids must be grown). She invited them to ask the Lord what he would have them do that day and to ponder for a few minutes before facing the day. So this morning I gave it a try. I asked the Lord to direct me. A few minutes later I made my "to do" list. Guess what? I didn't do anything on my list. I started a few of the items...but along the way things came up. A friend called and wanted to visit...My 5 year old wanted to get ready for the first day of school...the girls actually wanted to eat dinner (can't imagine why)...well, life got in the way of my to do list. But I was so grateful that I listened! It was great connecting with that friend this morning, it was fun to see how excited my little darling is for school, and the kids loved dinner (which they've never eaten when I made it before). All of these were less obvious blessings. I had to dig a little to see them. But after all this, our dear neighbor who is moving very far away dropped by. "Could you use some food? Our freezer is full and we can't take it with us. While you are at it, why don't you use this freezer while we are gone." Um....ya. An obvious tender mercy! Now I just have to figure out what to do with frozen tuna. The food was an addition to a trampoline her sons brought over yesterday and a really great headboard and foot board they brought over this morning. The Lord knows our needs, even when we don't ask!
One more thing...not knowing how many school clothes we would be able to purchase and knowing how exciting it is to wear new clothes on the first day of school, I let the girls pick out a pattern and fabric from my stash and was making them an outfit for the first day of school. I finished one dress last week and had half of another shirt done. Finishing it was on my "to do" list today. And quite frankly I was wondering if I would find time today to get it done. I was determined to sew after the girls went to bed, but I needed to get my exercise in for my challenge and knew I wouldn't be worth much after that. The girls were getting their pajamas on and were talking about what they wanted to wear. I asked them about the clothes I had been making. My newly turned 7 year old looked me in the eye and said "Mom, I don't want you to have to worry about my shirt tonight. I can just wear something else. You finish it when you have time." She didn't know how stressed I was about getting it done. But I thought it was really sweet and super intuitive that she would realize the pressure I was under. How does a 7 year old recognize such things? Did I mention she's pretty close to the Spirit? Oh, how I love her! Another HUGE tender mercy! And though I was a little sad that they won't get to wear what I made them, my husband said "at least you are making them something." I guess I take for granted the wonderful things my mom created for me as a kid and the things she taught me to do for my own kids.
Do you take time to ask the Lord "What would you have me do today?" What has been the outcome?
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