COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

 



“Count your many blessings,

Name them one by one;

And it will surprise you

What the Lord has done.”

From the song/hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’

 

I think, one of the greatest blessings in life is to be able to ‘stay relevant’ as you age. By this, I mean, to be able to keep ‘contributing’… keep ‘giving’.

There is something of value in all of us, which God has placed in all of us. Now, that ‘something’ can be one or two talents, skills or strengths of ours. Most of us think, that, while our talents are God-given, our skills and strengths are our own. But, the more we reflect on this, the more we realize, that even to own some of our skills and strengths, we need God’s grace. When we acknowledge this truth, we feel confident and peaceful.

I completed 63 yesterday. A thought dominates my mind and heart: “Have I been able to stay relevant, by being able to keep contributing and giving through my God-given gifts?”

When my mind and heart say ‘Yes’, I feel the surge of gratitude… which, in turn, makes me feel more confident and peaceful.

The Wise say, that we should never measure life by its age, but by its blessings… ‘Count your blessings’… Oh! As I pause to reflect on these 63 years, I truly understand the meaning of this phrase…


“Count your many blessings,

Name them, one by one;

And it will surprise you

What the Lord has done.”





An hour ago, on my way home, I met a dear student of mine. During the terrible second wave of Covid, he had lost his maternal uncle and aunt (uncle’s wife), due to Covid. They died in a span of one week. Their only son (24), who was studying in America, couldn’t come for the funeral of his parents. As my student was narrating this story of his cousin, I saw his voice choking… He said, “Even now, we can’t believe, that this could happen!”

Almost all of us have our own painful Pandemic-stories to share… We have lost our near and dear ones, we have lost our jobs and businesses… Students, teachers, preachers, doctors, lawyers, big and small businessmen – all have been affected in one way or the other. So, should we still seek comfort in the song: ‘Count your many blessings/Name them one by one/And it will surprise you/What the Lord has done/’?

I think, we should…




No matter how badly we have been hit by the Pandemic, there are so many ‘uncounted blessings’ in our lives… One never knows what is in store for the orphaned 24-year-old, and you and I never know what is in store for us. All that we need to know is this: there is something of value in all of us, which, if we learn to recognize and share with people around us, the Life does seem a blessing…

Frankly, what else does matter?

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: pixabay

 

Video: nikikaful

 

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