Thy Bounty is Seen

Infinitely great and glorious art thou.
We are thy offspring and thy care.
Thy hands have made and fashioned us.
Thou hast watched over us with more than parental love,
more than maternal tenderness.

Thou hast made summer and winter, day and night;
each of these revolutions serves our welfare
and is full of thy care and kindness.
Thy bounty is seen
in the relations that train us,
the laws that defend us,
the homes that shelter us,
the raiment that comforts us,
the continuance of our health, members, senses,
understanding, memory, affection, will.

But as stars fade before the rising sun,
thou hast eclipsed all these benefits
in the wisdom and grace that purposed
redemption by Jesus thy Son.

~ The Valley of Vision, Second Day Morning and Evening excerpts

So many blessings. So much to be grateful for in my life; truly my cup overflows with good things. If only I could hold onto this feeling, this present knowledge, of how very blessed I am, so that whenever I have the desire to complain or grumble then those ugly thoughts will crumble under the weight of gratitude.

The Bible says that perfect love drives away fears. Perhaps gratitude drives away worry. And stress, apprehension, tension, and unrest. Pride too, maybe, because when I am honest, the realization comes that everything good I have is a gift, not made by me, not because of anything I deserved, but a beautiful blessing of grace by the eternal Gift-Giver, the Holy-Redeemer, the One who loves more than a father and cares for us more tenderly than a mother.

So many blessings.

Following the Path Where It Leads

The Start

The First Day: There was Evening, and there was Morning