Forgotten Blessings

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart." – Jean Baptiste Massieu

What do you have to be thankful for as a homeschooling parent? Have you stopped to think about it recently? Amazingly, you’ve done nothing special to deserve God’s goodness and love, but He chooses to bless you anyway. Uniquely packaged, these divine blessings come through special acts of kindness by a homeschooling friend, an encouraging love note from a child or family member, an unexpected, homemade gift crafted by little hands, a beautiful sunrise or sunset made “just for you,” a soft sofa after a long day of teaching, or your child’s “Thanks, that was great!” after eating the evening meal.

Unfortunately, so many of these simple blessings we receive each day from God’s hand go unnoticed, unacknowledged, and unappreciated. Lost under piles of housework and homeschooling “to dos,” we can only see the bigger problems and things we don’t have. Not until tragedy strikes and our world falls apart do we slow down, reflect, and realize how wonderful life’s everyday blessings can be. So, why is it that we continually fall from an attitude of gratitude to one of ungratefulness or complaining?

Perhaps it’s because we’re much like the people of Israel in the Old Testament. When the grapes were on the vine and the goats were fat in the fields, they forgot the Lord who saved them from Egypt’s bondage and slavery. Developing a self-sufficient mentality, they repeatedly forgot God until a humbling chain of events brought them back to their knees in grateful worship saying, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

What about your soul? Do you find it difficult to gratefully remember God’s blessings amidst all the busyness of homeschooling and homemaking? Don’t let this Thanksgiving just be about turkey, pumpkin pies, and homeschool holiday activities. Although gratitude is the most fragile of virtues, you can strengthen it by opening your eyes each day to the bounty of God’s blessings to truly “give thanks.” “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19).

Father God,

When I begin to count all the blessings in my life, I’m overwhelmed at Your love. Change my attitude today and help me express my gratefulness for my family, my home, and every good and perfect gift You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.