Beauty from ashes: Count your Blessings

Twenty-five days to the end of the year and the beginning of another. Time to start taking account of the year and lessons learned. For some, it is time to make comparisons with previous years. Making comparisons with previous years may not be a bad thing to do depending on your reason but it is the outcome that matters. Whenever I compare, I always conclude that the past year wasn’t better than the just concluded year.

Even if I may have had down times I believe they were all in my favour. Each new year comes with its own challenges but knowing that the new year will definitely be better than the previous year is something that sets you on a whole new plane.

I already have no doubt that by December next year, I would sit back and say 2016 has been the best so far and that it was better than 2015. Why? Is it because I may not have had more challenges in 2016 than 2015? No? It is just because I have learned to count my blessings – the very tiny insignificant things. I have also learned that something beautiful can come out of ashes.

Yes, there can be beauty in something broken. Irrespective of how broken you are or how life has hurled its challenges at you, you remained unbeaten and the fact that you are here means that there is hope. Life may not have played out the way you expected – sometimes it doesn’t but always know that it will work out for your good.

Related article: Deep Thoughts: Shine on the green light

You may have lost a loved one, think of many other loved ones God has brought your way, even though they may not be blood-related but they are closer than even those who are. That job you lost, maybe the last time you ever go looking/begging for a job. It is hard when you are going through certain things to think this way but even if you think you have lost everything this year, you haven’t. You haven’t lost God and you have a life!

I believe this is for someone on the verge of giving up or at a low ebb in life. Be thankful for the little things and know that even though there is night there will always be morning. Look for the blessings in little things that matter. I will start by list seven things I think you should be grateful about.

#1 – The Gift of Life

Only the living can truly appreciate this gift. I don’t know if you have heard of someone dying and you have said – “Oh no! This person is too good to go”. I will give an example of one of such people – Peter Bello. I never met him and I never will but I heard of his passing and from the things I heard, I felt like I knew him and was sad that he was gone and gone too soon. So dear friends, do not take the gift of life for granted. Life is but like a vapour and it is something worth thanking God for.

#2 – Family & Friends

I am slowly realizing I don’t have them that much but I am grateful to God for the ones I have. Sorry I have to speak about death again. I lost a friend and guess my only regret – I didn’t spend as much time as I would have loved with her and getting to know how important I was to her didn’t make the pain lesser. But I am glad that she knew the Lord. So I am thankful for friends and family and I have decided to spend more time with them in 2016.

Related Article: Bridging the Divide: Make it Count

#3 – Mundane Things of Life

Don’t roll your eyes at this one. At least you had a new cloth this year. In fact, you have data to come visit this site. You were maybe able to eat at least one square meal per day even if there were days you had to turn hunger strike into fasting. If you would just take a look at the statistics of children not even adults starving or without water in some developing country including Nigeria you would be grateful. But here we are not so contented with the supposed little when what we consider little is someone else’s big. I repent!

See Also

Three Amazing Ways To Put A Smile On Jesus’ Face Today

#4 – Shelter

This may be insignificant but having a place to lay your head is a privilege that others may not have. Even if you are squatting be thankful that you have a place to squat even if the conditions are far from perfect.

#5 – Health

Good Health is worth being thankful about. I am very thankful for the great health that I barely take note of. Even if your health isn’t where you would want it to be, be thankful. There are many people that are wishing for your health status. I was getting angry that I was a bit ill some days back and then my dad said something when he came to my room “Mercy, what is wrong you rarely ever fall ill”. So, I realized I was being ungrateful for all the years I didn’t have to go to the hospital and that just by praying I became stronger. I immediately became thankful, maybe not almost immediately.

#6 – Peace, Joy, and Happiness

Try buying them from the market if you can. Early on I developed a slogan for people who ask me “what I brought for them”, I reply with ‘peace, joy, happiness’. I am happy I carry peace, joy, happiness…wherever I go, irrespective of whatever situation I find myself in. There are people in this world who would be willing to buy Peace, Joy, and Happiness with Billions of naira/dollars but sadly it can’t be bought.

 #7 – Salvation

Last but not the least and this is personal to me. The gift of being saved. The gift of having a relationship with Christ is something I won’t trade for anything. It is what brings peace to my life irrespective of the happenings in the world. It is what calms me when someone dear goes to be with the Lord. Most importantly it is a free gift that I never deserved or earned.

How about you? What are you thankful for?