Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Praise the Lord. Psalm 147: 1, 7, 20b (NIV)
On a recent morning, I was sitting with my hands wrapped around a cup of coffee on the deck in my peaceful, somewhat secluded backyard. It was a crisp – well okay, chilly – autumn morning but I was determined to enjoy one more morning coffee on my deck before it was too cold.
In 2006 I planted two Autumn Blaze maple trees in my backyard. They are now about 20 feet tall, provide great shade in the summer and spectacularly beautiful red leaves in the fall – lots of them! This particular morning, there was a slight breeze and I watched as the leaves tumbled to the ground: a cascade of beautiful red leaves landing on the grass, in the garden, on the deck and around me … much the same way God’s blessings fall on and around me every day. The leaves are a seasonal cascade but God’s blessings fall on and around me every day and I need to see them and say, “Thank you, Lord”.
Not all of God’s blessings are as easily noticeable as red leaves. And yes, I think leaves, especially red leaves, are a blessing! They provide a brilliant contrast to the green turf and to the browns and tans of the flowers going dormant, the leaves I don’t rake will provide nutrients to the turf and the garden and a winter nesting place for the little critters, each leaf is a slightly different shade of red and a slightly different shape (who but God knew there were so many shades of red and shapes of maple leaves), raking will give me exercise, when the sun shines on the trees the entire yard is bathed in a pinkish-reddish light, the red leaves against the blue sky are gorgeous and the kid in me still likes to walk through the yard kicking up leaves.
Some of God’s blessings are bright and bold (like red leaves) but some are quiet and subtle: a comfortable bed, your favorite pillow and blankie and a night of peaceful rest, someone smiling at you (these days we often have to look at their eyes to see the smile), your favorite beverage served just the way you like it, a compliment, enjoying a delicious meal, finding a convenient parking space, a nap in your favorite chair, chatting with a friend, sitting quietly with someone you love, unexpected good news, arriving on time when you thought you might be late, the convenience of keeping in touch via emails and texts, no waiting in the checkout lane, a good book to read, a helpful clerk, lights that turn on at the flip of a switch, the opportunity to do something for someone …
Do you see God’s “quiet” blessings in your life every day and say, “Thank you, Lord” ?
Karen Timmerman
11/03/2020