Ever notice how brilliant the light is after you have weathered a storm?
Yesterday was the first time this school year that I have been in a school car rider line. My daughter started driving this year, so I have been relieved of my afternoon driving duties. But, yesterday she had something to do after school, so I had to go pick up my son.
It was a gorgeous fall day. It has rained here for the past couple of weeks. The day before was pretty too, but I worked that day, so I was indoors. Yesterday, I found myself cleaning house all day, so I was again indoors all day, until pick up time.
I’ll have to admit that I found myself slightly annoyed at having to go back to the car rider line. I spent an hour a day for eleven years, waiting for my kids to get out of school. Not being in that line has added a couple of hours to my day to get things done before my teens get home from school.
But, when I got in the car, the brilliant blue cloudless sky, was almost breathtaking. I don’t take time to notice the sky when it’s sunny everyday. But, after two weeks of rain? I found it stunning. I found myself giving a prayer of thanks for that beautiful sky.
I was reminded that our lives are full of everyday blessings like that sky, that we often take for granted until something unfortunate happens. We are blessed with health, and family, and friends, and plenty to eat, and pets that make us smile, houses to live in, people who love us and, well, if you took the time to make a list, you would probably run out of paper.
Sadly, we sometimes forget all of those ordinary blessings are in fact, blessings. We take them for granted. We focus on what we don’t have or what we want and not all of the bounty that we have, until the storms hit.
When the rains come and we scramble for peace and refuge, we remember. We remember what is really important and what truthfully, doesn’t matter at all. We gain new perspective for all we have.
And when the rains pass, and they always will, eventually, if we are wise, we give thanks to the One who not only helped us weather the storm, but has given us so much to be thankful for.
Yesterday, I found myself incredibly thankful for the sky and that I had a healthy child to pick up from school. I’ll bet you can think of at least couple of things you are thankful for too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂