And Forget Not All His Benefits

If we are honest, January is kind of a letdown after a month like December. It is like being asked to follow a stellar talent act. December takes the stage with a standing ovation, and January smells of rotten tomatoes while it holds us hostage for thirty-one days! It is very easy to allow January’s uneventful days to cloud our judgement. Instead of seeing the benefits of a new year, we see the loss of an old year .

We have a jar in our house called the “Blessings Jar.” I took it from the scripture found in Psalms 103:2, which says, “Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” I couldn’t get that last part out of my mind, “…and forget not all His benefits.” It is so easy to miss the little blessings all around us. Whether it’s in a good laugh with a friend, a cup of coffee bought for a stranger, or just a fun day spent with family. I remember when my husband’s and my first dog died. My heart was broken. My dad called and told me that it was these kinds of moments that marriages were made of. Our society today tries to pacify pain but, the truth is, part of growing as a family will contain some tears. It was around that first heartbreak that I made our “Blessings Jar.” I didn’t want to forget the moments that were gluing our family together. Now, each year, on January 1st, we open our jar and take out the slips of paper and read what made that year special. It is amazing how many benefits we forget!

As I reached in the jar, I pulled out a recent slip of paper that read, “Water leaked into the camper. Two dogs, a cat, a toddler and a flashlight, not a good combination!” The story came flooding back to me. As most of you know, our family is living in a camper right now while we relocate. One particular day, I was standing at the kitchen sink in the camper. I had just awakened Eva from her nap. I looked behind me and saw water all over the floor! I quickly cleaned it up, thinking maybe it would just go away. Well, it didn’t. About thirty minutes later, it was back! Because it was leaking from underneath the electrical box, I had instructions to shut everything down, including the water, until Chuck could get home. I headed outside, in the dark, to do what seemed extremely simple. However, remember, two dogs, a cat, a toddler…and a flashlight. As I am looking for the  waterline, I hear footsteps coming fast from around the camper. I looked up to see Eva running towards me. She had on her panties, a t-shirt too small for her, and   rainboots. In her hand, she was carrying a flashlight saying, “Mommy!” “I’m coming and I got my flashlight!” Still trying to pry open the box that held the  waterline, out of the corner of my eye, I see my cat. She was easing her rather plump body, down the camper steps, ready to make a smooth getaway underneath the camper. While this is playing out, our German Shepherd, Maximus, who thinks he is a Police Officer always on patrol, is steady doing laps around the scene . I am praying he doesn’t see my cat while I am busy trying to get to the  waterline. I finally managed to get into the box, but I couldn’t see anything down in the hole. So, I squatted down and leaned in for a closer look. Eva comes right beside me, squats down and as serious as she can, leans over with her flashlight. It was really hard to take her seriously in panties and  rainboots, but I kept my composure.  Afterall, she was watching me. I finally reached my hand down in the hole and was able to shut off the water. Meanwhile, I felt something breathing down my neck. I slowly lifted my head and was met face to face with Samson, our Golden Retriever. He reminds me a lot of a Politician, always shaking hands and kissing babies. He was literally at my face, and in one smoothe motion, he stuck his tongue out and licked my nose, as if to say, “I am right here if you need me.” I could not contain it anymore. I just started laughing out loud and then Eva started laughing! I told her this would make the “Blessings Jar” for sure!

Life is a series of moments stacked together. Look for them this year and put them in a jar, so you don’t forget all His benefits. I promise! They are worth remembering!

You crown the year with Your goodness and all Your paths drip with abundance! Psalms 65:11 

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