10 Things I Needed Quiet Time to Remember

It's one of those "I'm so grateful" days. Nothing spectacular has occurred, I didn't win the lottery or anything. I simply had some quiet time this morning, and I noticed the many blessings in my life.

Do we need quiet time to recognize all that we've been given?  Yes.

When life is frantic and I just run from thing to thing, my overall mode is "hurry up and finish this, there are ten more things I have to get to." That's a perfect recipe for becoming cranky and then resentful. When I can't really pay attention to the task I'm in, I'm certainly not going to appreciate what I'm doing and why it's important. Think of Road Runner's legs. Spinning and spinning, moving through everything instead of being fully present.

So, this morning, it was quiet and I read Jesus Calling (several days' worth, because I was behind.) And in the quiet, blessings bubbled up.

1. Today is our daughter's birthday. She's a blessing in so many ways, and also a feisty testament to life. As a toddler, she had a severe seizure that caused her to stop breathing. If not for one doctor, well...you can read about that HERE.

2.  Grandson James. This sweet child gives me the opportunity to just stop and hold a baby. If he's fussy, or feeding, or sleeping, he has my full attention. He puts life in perspective.

3. Our older son and his wife visited recently. They drove to Florida from Virginia to meet James. We took lots of family pictures (because we're rarely all together) and I got lots of hugs. I have to say, there is nothing a mom loves more than having all her youngin's together. All the pieces of her heart reconnect. And if the youngin's don't gripe about getting numerous family photos, that's icing on the cake. Thank you, youngin's!

4.  After four months of unemployment, our younger son has a job. This son is the father of James, and husband to our sweet DIL, so we all had anxious hearts about how this new little family would manage. But, our son is resilient and our DIL is supportive, so they are working it out. We're so proud of how they are growing through this challenge.

5.  After a head injury this week, the hubs is fine. At work, a piece of equipment hit him in the head. He needed 6 staples in his scalp, but has no other damage. He doesn't even want me talking about it, so don't mention it.

6.  Mom's treatment for lymphedema is working. Her legs looked like tree trunks, but after two weeks of special wrappings, she's on the mend. Once treatment is over, she'll have to wear compression stockings, which she's not looking forward to. Life at 95 is not as much fun as it used to be.

7.  Dad is getting new glasses. After sitting on/rolling on his wire frames a thousand times, they were shot. Pliers and duct tape didn't work anymore. He's getting titanium frames. Seems fitting for his titanium spirit. 

8. We're getting a new dishwasher. In comparison to loved ones and jobs, this is an insignificant thing. But once the current dishwasher starts depositing rust stains on the plates, it's time.

9.  My Visa bill is at 0 again. This only happens about twice a year, so I like to highlight it when it occurs.

10. I'm eating dark-chocolate malt balls for breakfast. I really have to stop this, because my inflammation numbers are up a little, and I know sugar is the culprit for me. I'm my own worst enemy. The good news is that in heaven, I won't have to deal with any more of this nonsense.

What blessings have you missed recently because life is too hectic? Make quiet time a priority (that's the only way to do it), and you will be reminded of how much God loves you.

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