Blessings—the favor of God, that which is conducive to happiness or welfare. There are, and have been, more natural blessings in my life than I can count, but undoubtedly, along with His favor, comes my responsibility to respond in gratitude. Then there are soul-blessings, His favor and mercy on a whole other level, one which I want to be more aware of (and grateful for) as well. It’s been laid on my heart this week that gratitude goes far beyond saying thank-you. Full heart-felt trust in Him, reverence so deep it guards my words and actions before others, humility of spirit, mercy and kindness that go heart-deep and not just in the smile I offer. Choosing to see the good in others, and the fact that they too are His children, His handiwork—these are just a few tokens of gratitude I want to include in my every day.
It turned much cooler during the night, and sometime in the wee-hours, I was mighty grateful for the blessing of warm covers, a cozy bed, and when I was sure it had to be time to get up—my tummy told me so, I made my way to the kitchen, thankful for the blessings of home, shelter, comfort and yes, the sound of the kettle heating up. The flicker of the candle on the stove, a cozy chair by the woodstove, and the realization that many do not have these blessings strikes my heart with sadness. I am blessed. May I never overlook that.
As always, the Hollow is quiet on Sunday morning. I am also grateful for that. There is some activity going on in the attic, it actually awakened me earlier, and I suspect some little creature had a Saturday night gathering, perhaps a Harvest Party? Many little feet were skittering across the ceiling, and it sounded like they were rolling acorns, even throwing them now and then. A game of acorn-soccer perhaps? All’s quiet now; likely they are partied-out and snuggled in their beds, but from past experience I suspect there will be more commotion for a few nights, and until they get established in their winter-dorms. Hope they settle soon. Like I’ve said before, we don’t mind sharing our bounty with God’s littlest creatures, but we do require respect and consideration in return.
Papa Hare says they are just finding a warm place for winter, and he’s right of course. We’ve also learned that the more activity up there, the more likely that there’s a bitter winter ahead. The Farmers’ Almanac agrees, as does all the nature-signs we’ve watched over the past few months. [shudder]
Like I said, I’m thankful for my blessings.
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