Unexpected Blessings

A few years ago, I posted often about unexpected blessings. Nearly every day I’d have a blog post that would include something random that happened that day that blessed me. It was a conscious effort on my part to live a life of gratitude and to expectantly look for good in each day. Then, I hit a rough patch with work stress and hurtful breakups and no matter how badly I tried, I struggled to find the unexpected blessings in life.
It has been a long road back (much longer than I wish) but this past year especially has been an amazing time of healing, strengthening and reflecting. There have been so many, many wonderful blessings that I can’t begin to count or name. But I cherish them and I find joy and hope in them.
I think there have been an abundance of blessings in my life the past few years. Some I noticed; many I did not.  I wasn’t looking for them; I was focused on pain or failures or disappointments. The only difference in this year and these previous years was me. I’m looking now – expecting –  and I’m overwhelmed by the goodness and the beauty that surrounds me each day. 
The pain, failures and disappointments didn’t just disappear. I just removed them from center stage. They are still part of my story but they are supporting roles at best. There is some concern on my part that I am sounding a little “pollyanna” with all my talk about unexpected blessings and that the meter for causing vomitous reactions is dangerously high. I don’t intend to be and I hope that this is not the case. In fact, there have been some fairly low moments recently. Somehow, even in the midst – maybe especially in the midst – I need to look for unexpected blessings even more.  Always, always survey the horizon for God.  Always, always sniff for the scent of Christ upon people, events, feelings, situations, everything. Don’t miss God!
My favorite line of prose is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem “Aurora Leigh”:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes-
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.

I’ve always loved going barefoot.  Will you join me?
Unexpected blessings from today:

• A wonderful, long walk with God. He is so good to me.
• A great lunch with a friend that included great food and even better soul sharing.
• Seeing one of my youth at lunch and getting to love on her.
• Rare time with my sister helping her prepare for another year impacting children through the ministry of teaching.
• A surprise phone call from a friend who is beginning a new chapter and who I’ve missed.