The Wading Pool

Every night, when I put my kids to bed, before we pray, we have a little routine we do.  We call it our “thankfuls.”  I alternate nights sitting on one of the girl’s beds (my boy is still in his crib…that would be awkward), and whoever is in the other bed goes first, listing their “thankfuls” for the day.

I don’t remember when we started it, but it’s a nightly event that can range from the grumpy “can I just say one thing?” to the itemized listing of every toy, every blessing, every possible thing from that day (and even days to come!).  My little man is in there with us from time to time, as we’re trying to get him involved…but a 22 month old isn’t much interested in anything except pouncing on his sister’s heads and jumping on the bed.  One day…

Today, my thankful list was a bit different.  Had a little mishap with my keys tonight when I stopped by the store on the way home, and indadvertedly dropped them in my car seat (I blame my friend with whom I was distracted conversing with on the phone…you know who you are!).  So I had to call Amanda and have her lug the kids all the way up to meet me with the spare key.

As I killed time wandering around the different stores in the shopping center, I finally got bored and ended up at my car.  It was a nice, cool autumn night, so I plopped down on my truck and proceeded to check emails.

Then my phone died.

So, what was a 21 century guy to do at this time?  Well, I decided I’d list everything I was thankful for.  And you know what I concluded?  I am a blessed man!

• Thankful for a Savior Who loved me, gave Himself for me, took my sins on His blameless shoulders, and set me free.
• Thankful for a wife who is beautiful, inside and out, and who has been the absolute epitome of grace to me in the course of our 15 years of marriage.  To say I don’t deserve her would be an understatement.  I married WAAAAAAAAY up!
• Thankful for three beautiful and wonderful kids, two girls and a boy, who fill my life with laughter and joy.
• I’m thankful for my entire family, both by blood and by marriage, who are such a huge blessing to me.
• I’m thankful for my church family…the family I would not have if it wasn’t for Jesus.
• I’m thankful for my “Taco Tuesday” brothers and the blessing of breaking tortillas and the Word with them every week.  They sharpen me!
• I’m thankful for my “job”, if that’s even the right word to use for what I get to do everyday:  go to church and be blessed by the people I come in contact with.  It’s hard sometimes, but man, where else would I go?  Jesus alone has the Words of life!
• I’m thankful for the amazing brothers and sisters who serve in the worship ministry, using the gifts they’re given to bless God and others.  They bless me!
• I’m thankful for the gift of music, and being able to share it with so many amazing people.

But I realized I’m thankful for some things I wouldn’t have thought I’d have listed:

• And I’m  thankful for the 2 kids we lost during pregnancy, who are with the Lord now, knowing no sorrow or pain.  I’ll meet them one day.
• I’m thankful for the tough seasons of life.  The times when it seemed life was crashing down around me.  The times when careers ended, only to lead to new ones down the road.
• The hard times of ministry when you realize God is making you stronger through them, equipping you and causing you to rely on him.
• The tough times financially when you didn’t know how you would make it, but God got you through, sometimes in miraculous ways.

And those are just some of the things.  God knows, I could go on and on.  But it did me good to sit and dwell on these things tonight.

What about you?  You counted your blessings lately?

And oh yeah…that pic up above?  I’m very thankful for moments like that.  They fly by too quickly.