Count Blessings Blessed
Romans 8:28 (All things good)
Psalm 103:1 ESV
By the world’s standards I am not wealthy.
I do not own property.
I was a Pastor’s wife and we served in five churches so we moved around for most of my adult life. I was not able to work for one company until I turned fifty.
But I have found that Romans 8:28 is truer than true. God does cause all things to work together for good.
I AM blessed beyond measure!
God provides everything I need…every time without fail. What I do NOT have (wealth) makes it so God makes sure I have enough. I would even say MORE than enough.
NOT owning property means I have the freedom to follow God anywhere.
Because we moved around a lot doing ministry in many different places I am blessed because I have lived in a rural area, a small town, a midsize city, and a metro area. God taught me about people.
God also intentionally gave me various kinds of jobs every time we moved. I am blessed with many different kinds of skills.
I have worked for the railroad where I walked the tracks at night. (I mostly learned about angels protected me when I am alone and afraid). I am blessed!
I have been a stay at home mom because there were no jobs for me nearby. I am VERY blessed. I was able to be with my children when they were young.
I have been a Newspaper Photographer. I have been a Newspaper Editor. I learned how to find news, interview people (including members of Congress), I learned to write and edit, take and develop photographs, and I learned to think outside the box and punt when a plan fails. Wow…I am blessed.
I have been an administrator for an area minister where I incorporated my newspaper skills and I learned how to work with people who had various issues.
I have been a portrait photographer where I learned how to make the most of it when photographing a family. I worked on commission. If my photographs weren’t extremely good I didn’t have a salary. I learned how to take great photographs. I am blessed.
I have worked as a “Framer” where I learned how to choose wood, do bevel cuts, and build picture frames. I got to work with my hands. I am blessed.
I worked in a call center answering employee questions. They needed quick correct succinct answers. I had never done telephone work before so this was a new skill in a very fast paced environment. I am blessed.
I have worked in a fast-paced high profile call center where we answered questions from Members of Congress. This was my most challenging job ever. Not only was it fast-paced, it required accuracy and accountability. I am blessed.
At the same time I was on staff at a mega church where I did scheduling for large worship teams for various services. I had to learn to maximize my time. I am very blessed.
While in Seminary I worked as Director of a Healing Prayer Service managing a team of gifted prayer people. I learned from really experienced pray-ers how to listen and pray as the Spirit leads. I learned when someone is dying how to help them pass into the arms of Jesus with dignity and peace. I had to learn how we let go of this temporary life to go to our permanent home in heaven. I am very very blessed.
And now I am a blogger. This is my dream job. I love to write. I love to take photographs. I’m learning to do digital drawing. This Fall while I was visiting family one of my granddaughters taught me a new digital drawing program. A grandson taught me how to better utilize another app I had been using. I was amazed how fast, how brave, and how knowledgeable kids are today! I am blessed beyond measure.
Psalm 103:1 tells us, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”
My crazy bless-ed journey taught me one step at a time that God will bless me even in times of adversity.
We have that assurance. As a Child I sang Blessed Assurance (1873, Fanny Crosby),
“Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine; oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blessed. Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.”
This is MY story. This is MY song.
I praise my Savior all the day long.
This is MY story. This is MY Song.
Praising MY Savior all the day long.
On my crazy journey God developed in me a high level of tolerance.
God developed my courage and my capacity to learn new skills.
God seriously developed skills I learned in high school when I was part of the newspaper staff at a large high school in Kansas City.
I learned that God guides me daily through my story.
God gave me courage and strength.
God gave me (gives me) faith and taught me to trust that I will be provided for today, tomorrow, and in the future. God has never failed me.
Each step of the way I learned how to let God change me. I learned to look for the blessings. I learned that Romans 8:28 is seriously true. God gave me and gives me blessings from hardship. God has never and will never fail me. God will never fail you.
It’s really really true that when we look for God and wait, we WILL find God.
Spiritual Practice: Your Story
Write your story about you and God.
In God, Deborah
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