We received a beautiful Christmas Card this year and on the card is a gorgeous tree. It’s a tree barren of leaves with perfectly placed branches all in sparkly white. I thought it was sensational.
Treasure #1 - I pass by a piece of property each and every day, on my boring drive to and from work. It is very wet on this particular piece of property and when it rains it always floods. It has hundreds a little scrub trees on it. I often look at it and wonder the value of the property. I noticed today all the little scrub trees were covered in sparkly white and at the end of the property there was this huge tree with perfectly placed branches all in sparkly white as well. It just took my breath away! When was the last time something beautiful took your breath away? Treasure #2 - My husband called me at work and asked me if I made it in okay, especially you know, since we’ve been having trouble with my vehicle. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have even thought about this treasure. So sad that one takes for granted the most important treasures that we live with every day. But on this ordinary today I was struck with the fact that I’m married to quite a treasure. Treasure #3 - I had to go to work today. Yuk! How mundane . . . but in these changing times, in these economic upheavals, how grateful I am.
This counting your blessings or mining for treasure can get old, I’m sure, for most of you. We’d all rather sit and whine about all those things we didn’t get but deserve, all the dreams that never came true, all the difficult family issues, the health problems and the list can go on and on and on. I guess the only way I can explain my thinking is by telling the story of the very first time I realized my heart had gotten "cold". I had pulled into work one morning about 10 years ago and another lady from down the hall located in my office building pulled in right beside me. We both got out of our vehicles and I remember saying, Ughh!! Isn’t this a mess. I’ll sure be glad when this melts and Summer gets here. She, on the other hand, bopped out of her car and with a smile that would melt the iciest heart said, "Oh my, I just love snow!!!" Folks, that’s all she said, but it made me realize that at one time I liked snow - I just looked at it differently now. I chose to see a flip side to all she saw. I chose slippery roads, dirty snow, freezing temps and she simply chose "snow", the glee of sled riding, lying in the snow and making snow angels, building snowmen and snow fortresses, snowball fights, fireplaces, hot chocolate and marshmellows.
I USED TO LOVE SNOW!! I love the changing seasons, that’s why I love Indiana. What happened? What made my heart feel so "cold". What made me react so negatively to everything?
Thank goodness my heart wasn’t completely frozen - I suppose this was my "wake-up call". We all have them, those ah-ha moments - we generally just don’t pay attention.
You can call it "counting your blessings" or whatever you desire but start mining. You have treasures awaiting!!!