The date was October 12, 2021, and the time was 7:51 A.M when God gave us a special blessing. Did you see it? The morning was an out-of-the-ordinary picturesque setting as the sun began to rise over the eastern horizon. A lone broken cloud drifted eastward and tried to hide the sun, but its rays cut through and escaped westward.  To the west, dark low rain clouds hovered over the unharvested fields of beans and corn. A few droplets of rain fell from the sky, but the intense rays of the sun reached their fingers to the underside of the clouds and turned them into a deep, rich shade of yellow. It was a moment in time, lasting only a few seconds, but it was priceless. No camera could have caught the full effect of God’s painting. It was here and gone, but it was a blessing. Wow! What a blessing.

They happen all the time, but how many do we notice? The sleeping child. The caterpillar crawling across the sidewalk. The gentle breeze blowing across a June wheat field causing the heads of grain to wave back and forth. A child’s giggle. The intricacy of a delicate flower. The fresh smell of a newly bathed baby. A song that God arranged at a particular moment for you to hear. The sweet aroma of fresh-cut fruit. The music of a songbird. The sleeping puppy. The kitten at play. The warmth of the day or the frozen pattern of a frosted window. These moments are priceless, but do we pause and notice them?

We’re so busy. We rush everywhere. We pick up the kids here and transport them there, wherever here and there are. We do the washing, cook dinner, and go shopping. We mow the lawn, trim the shrubs, and rush off to our kids' and grandkids' sports events. We rush out the door for an evening with the guys or gals. We’re busy people and often distracted or too tired to notice God’s blessings: His gifts to us.  

Local news, national news, world news, and the news our family and friends tell us weigh heavily on our minds and souls.  We’re blasted with bad news as we watch and listen to it all day long, plus we wake up in the middle of the night and search social media for more bad news: wars, Covid, sickness, death, shootings, break-ins, crooked politicians, political arguing, demonstrations, and fabricated terrible news.   It’s no wonder our nation’s suicide rate spirals upward. For the sake of your mind, health, and Christian faith, TURN OFF THE NEWS!!!

We are Christians, so let’s rise above the depressive life of most people. The reason so many of us miss the blessings of God is that we've permitted Satan to blind us with all the terrible news and busyness of the day. It’s time we turn our dismal night into a sunny day. Let’s get a glimpse of God and peace in one of David’s psalms.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

² Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

³ They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 - Ps 19:1–6 (NIV)

It’s November! It’s the month of thanksgiving. It’s the season of gratefulness and appreciating our blessings, but can you see them? Can you see God’s work in the changing colors and falling leaves? Can you see His artwork on a frosty morning? Can you see God’s laughter in your children? Can you sense His peacefulness as you read your Bible? Can you see God’s love in your family? Can you see His work despite the stress and disappointment of the holidays? He’s still here. He’s still at work. Let’s remember that God on the mountain is still God in the valley, but do we see Him? Maybe you’ve stopped looking. Are you sidetracked and preoccupied with life’s problems?

Satan is the master of disruption and interference. He tempts us with toys we don't need. He places obstacles and problems before us and draws us to veer off our walk with God. He plays with our minds, so we think we hear others say things with attitudes they never intended. He corrupts their hearts to say things that hurt us. We get offended. Our feelings become wounded. We cry and get angry. We lash out.  

God loves you. Satan tells you otherwise, but God really does love you. And just as you love to give and do good things for your spouse, kids, family, and friends, God loves to provide you with good things too. They're called blessings. So, sometimes, as the sun’s rays reach the underside of dark rain clouds and turn them into a deep, rich shade of yellow, we need to keep our eyes open to see the blessing. God loves to color our world. He loves to make you smile. He loves to make you laugh. So, while your life might have caved in, God still gives you blessings, even on those darkest days.

It’s time we open our eyes. Let’s open both our physical and spiritual eyes to see the beauty God showers on us. Let’s look at the magnificence of nature surrounding us, but let’s also look at the splendor of people. People have a lot of good in them, but we must sometimes search for that goodness. It’s there. 

God loves you, and He has blessed you beyond anything you or I deserve. Let's take note of our blessings and thank Him this season of thanksgiving.

Love you & God Bless,

Kenny