First and most importantly, our new grandson Owen Michael arrived on Monday morning, weighing in at 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 23 inches long, and we praise the Lord for another healthy, beautiful grandchild! His delivery was relatively quick and easy (as childbirth goes, anyway!) and both Owen and his parents are doing well. He has a doting big sister in the form of Olivia, age 2 1/2. Owen is our eighth grandchild (although only our second grandson!) but the excitement and the blessing never grows old! We have plans to meet our new grandson in just a couple of weeks - I can't wait to hold him in my arms! Praise the Lord for the blessing of children and grandchildren!Owen was almost a Valentine's Day baby. Being able to celebrate Valentine's Day with my hubby was another blessing. We have been sweethearts for over 40 years, and I am truly blessed to be married to my best friend. We celebrated with our traditional dinner for two at home. I am thankful for the blessing of love and marriage.
Other blessings this week have been not as big or obvious, but they were blessings nonetheless. We have spent many hours in the car this week. Monday evening we had to go to Richmond, and while we had some light snow here in Williamsburg that morning, it changed over to rain in the afternoon and the roads were fine. Unbeknownst to us, they were not fine in Richmond (about 35 miles away). It was several degrees colder there, enough that the roads were icy. We saw accident after accident along the side of the road. We sat in one traffic tie-up for about 40 minutes on the way to our destination due to an accident involving multiple cars. On the way home it was even worse, and we ended up sitting for well over an hour. What normally would have taken an hour or two that night to travel ended up being a 4 hour trip. I was so thankful to get home safely at 10:30 that night! Praise the Lord for the blessing of His protection!
The reason we have spent so many hours in the car this week was that a member of our congregation was promoted to Heaven. The graveside service my husband conducted was 2 1/2 hours away, and again the Lord blessed us with safety. We asked people to pray for protection in traveling and for the weather, because it POURED the whole way there, so much so that we could hardly see at times. Do you know that before we got there, the rain completely stopped, and when it was time to begin the graveside service the sun even came out? Another blessing! Even the funeral director remarked on the change, and the husband who had lost his dear wife responded with "Well, several of us talked to the Lord about that!" Praise the Lord for answered prayer!
As I write this, we are tired. We have had long days and short nights. Today was the funeral service at our church. My husband has been very busy taking care of all the details for the two services as well as preparing his regular sermons and keeping up with the normal everyday responsibilities of ministry. We are thankful for the blessings of people who have been willing helpers, and for strength.
Do you stop to thank the Lord for your blessings? Not just big things like new babies and special occasions, but the blessings of safety, rest, comfort, and what we might consider "everyday" things? Often we are quick to complain about things that go wrong, but we need to be just as quick to give God the thanks for every blessing. I like this quote by Charles Spurgeon: "Let us daily praise God for common mercies - common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless that when we are deprived of them we are ready to perish." We daily pass up countless blessings and reasons to thank God without even realizing it.
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." Psalm 68:19
Joyfully,
Kathi
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