Taking Inventory

"Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

A department store in Chicago hired me as a teenager to be a salesperson.  In fact, that marked my entry into the world of work.  A supervisor taught me how to greet potential customers with a smile plastered on my face and to ask,  "How can I help you?" Soon, I got the hang of it, especially since we were paid by the hour and not by commissions. Taking inventory of stock on the racks and tables, along with various articles of women's clothing in the storeroom occurred with some frequency and became the only downside to my "grown-up job."  Pure drudgery!

Fast forward through decades and assorted jobs, as well as through the flotsam and jetsam life often deposits and come face to face with my unyielding belief that "Life is hard! Too hard!"  My nature seemed to dwell on and store up all the negatives, disappointments, setbacks, and perceived losses rather than silver linings in clouds.  "Gloom and Doom" engaged and entangled my thoughts more than "Happy days are here again" melodies.

Self-created drama seemed always more entertaining than facing reality.  That's when Mother would step in, uninvited, and insist that I say "Thank You, Jesus" in the midst of a situation.  Say, "Thank You, Jesus, thank You, Jesus, thank You, Jesus," she'd caution.  And she meant it.  As persistent as I was stubborn, Mother wouldn't leave me until I'd grunt a "Thank You, Jesus!"  Often, she'd insist on more than one thank you.

"I have so much to thank my Jesus for;
Since I've been a soldier in this Holy War.
I count my blessings one by one;
Just to see what God has done.

I have so much to thank my Jesus for." 

Now, here's the challenge!

Take a plain or lined sheet of paper and for the next seven days, I challenge you to spend 15 minutes doing nothing but itemizing "things" God has done for you.  Only list the things you are certain only He could have done! The first 15 minutes may be difficult.  So, I suggest you do what I did.  Spend as much time as you need just to think about the assignment.  Differentiate between what a person could humanly do, or what physics or engineering feats might have accomplished.

Oh! Do you mean like waking me up every morning? Or creating me with the physiology that allows me to inhale and exhale? Like that?

Exactly.

What if it's hard to do at first?

That's okay.  Just keep thinking and writing.  Soon, you'll be able to make distinctions between the Creator and His creations.

How long did you say?

Seven days, 15 minutes at a time.  And if you don't mind, get back to me in a week.  Thanks!