counting blessings

Sometimes finding Him is natural-obvious-easy and sometimes it's intentional-sought-and-dug...but even in the darkest days, He is there, He is in them.

He is, which means that there IS fullness of joy and in all things, thanks to be given.

I've been looking for beautiful things...quiet things. I've been listening for, sometimes straining for, His voice, paying attention to the amens in each day.

And I've been working to offer up a grateful heart--instead of a guilty one--when I find them.

1) The Dishwasher.

Every time people visited us in Haiti and stood in the kitchen with us an hour or more after dinner, chatting and washing and drying, they tried to convince us that not having a dishwasher was no big deal.

They were lying to make us feel better.

A lot of the American dream is over-rated.

NOT the beloved dishwasher.

Hospitality is now taking minutes, not hours, and I'm gaining the time with the people I love.  And the machine I love.

2) Friends.

They don't come easy, but we've learned over the years in Haiti how to make friends as quick and deep as we can before they leave.  The turnover might not be so dramatic here, but the girls are in all-out friend mode, and I'm thankful.  Since getting a table, we've been so thankful to have lots of different people, from new friends to neighbors to new co-workers to visiting family around it, and with coronavirus having so many neighbors home, we've been thankful for the girls having daily playmates....and for all the precious people who have had us to their homes and worked to get to know us!

3) A dryer. 

Just like the dishwasher, you wouldn't believe how much time it takes to hang every item of laundry out on the line, wait three hours, and bring it all back in again. Being able to do laundry at night...in the rain...after noon...and throw it all in the dryer, only to be done an hour later...is fantastic.  Also, the girls, who could never reach the top of the line to hang and remove laundry, can now do their own, start to finish! Again, so much time freed up for being more present!

4) Siblings. 

Maybe this was happening the same before and I was just missing it because I was at work so much (or washing dishes and hanging out laundry and cooking for hours from scratch so much), but I have been so thankful to watch our four kiddos be friends. Teach each other. Help each other. Talk to each other. I LOVE catching all these sweet moments of their friendships developing. Been thankful for opportunities to speak His love and grace and Word into their daily moments. 

5) Cooking

Suddenly, whatever ingredients we need don't need substituted.  Suddenly, there is more than potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, and beets.  Suddenly, making a homecooked meal can include store-bought rolls. I love making a pie, without always having to make the crust. I love making a sandwhich, whithout having to make the bread. I love making chilli, without having to always soak dried beans, making pizzas without having to make all the crusts. We're trying all kinds of foods and recipes we've never had access to, and it's FUN. I'm really enjoying my time (albeit, much LESS time) in the kitchen, and baking and cooking with the kids. 

6) Reading.

This probably has nothing to do with having been in Haiti and now being in Mississippi, but with less time doing all the above thing, and having A/C in the house (and the 90+ degree weather staying outside and not zapping our energy the same way), I've been reading every night before bed, and I'm LOVING it. I've never read much--never felt like I've had time--but making a little bit of time right now for it has been beautiful.  

One of the things I've 'abandoned' for a while has been tv/movies, so I know that's helping free up some time to read, too, and I'm pretty sure that except for the rare occasion (I mean, have you seen Little Women?) I won't be going back.  

7) Little signs of home.  I never took any of my mom's things to Haiti because it felt unnecessary and risky in a home with no windows and so much dust and humidity. And while many of our things are still in Haiti, I was sure to grab a few keepsakes that would remind us of home. Between a few things from my childhood that remind me of mom and family, and a few things from Haiti that remind me of family and His faithfulness, I am thankful today for things around me that bring joy.

8) Homeschooling

The last two years have been so busy that I didn't realize how much I was missing of homeschooling, but I WAS.  I am loving learning alongside these four kiddos...setting up our day, listening to them learn and read and grow and question. I love knowing intricately what they are studying and learning and finding creative ways to weave that into our days, to expound upon it. Even the challenging parts--like MATH and reading, I love finding creative ways to work through, and love watching it click and light up in the kids. I also love being able to stop at 10 to take a walk around the neighborhood with handfuls of blueberries, and then jump back in when we get home...reading books while we wait at the dentist...finding out about places I can take them (well, one day when they open again) that will bring what they are learning to life.  

9) Family

As much as we are missing family from home, I am grateful and thankful to have had Nikki, Matt's mom, my dad, and Sharon already come to our turf to help it feel less new, and more like a place our family has been.  It is not easy to travel right now, and NONE of them stayed as long as we wanted them to, but having sweet memories with Dad, Barb, Nikki and Sharon here, introducing them to people here, has made this challenging transition a little easier. 

I am THANKFUL over and over for God at work through His people...how often He shows me Himself, speaks me His truth, through one of His children. How richly He has provided for our family during this time through His children. How intimately He has shown up through His Lights.

10) Medical Care.

In one month, we have received good medical care Sofie's abscessed tooth. My broken one. Had all three girls teeth cleaned and checked. Gotten Ben, Lily and Nora's way behind shot records caught up. Had all the kid's check-ups. Matt's had blood-work and a full check up and has an appointment next week with a GI guy. 

After so many years of these kinds of things being impossible, or follow-up being impossible because we were only in the states for a few weeks, we are just richly grateful for every prick and waiting room (which, with covid, has mostly been the van...another thing I am thankful for.)  

I hope we never take for granted good, clean, reliable, accessible health care, or the medical insurance that helps make it possible. 

11) Matt traveling less.  This will surely pick up again some after Covid, but we are used to Matt being gone for one week or more a month.  Having him home every night and weekend has been a new and rich blessing for us all...especially for his little obsessed shadow.

12) Pets.

While we have tried and tried, to no avail, to find a small dog for Sofie's 9th birthday coming up this week (apparently everyone bought up all the puppies, chest freezers, hair clippers, bleach and yeast before we moved to Mississippi when they heard about the virus coming), we did adopt a kitty from the local animal shelter, and all the girls have just been obsessed. It's a small thing, but having Magnolia, or "Maggie", has helped a lot with how much they have been struggling with leaving our dogs and cat at home and helping with some of the emotions that come with it.

Alright, there are some of my blessings, counted one-by-one.

You're up...what are some of the small, beautiful things in your day-to-day that He's using to bring joy...peace....gratitude....?

How are you seeing Him at work, healing and redeeming this broken time?