“Thank You for the day that went okay,” we prayed, and it wasn’t until later that I realized we’d been given more than just a day that went okay.

Sunday was a first for us. Poorly as it might reflect on us, after being married a little over two months, we were having our first Sunday lunch company. Firsts bring jitters for me, and even though it was my family that was coming, the jitters were still there. Saturday night and Sunday morning were a flurry of preparations, of things forgotten and then abruptly remembered, of trying to figure out what to do first and what could wait. Hurry here and hurry there, but we were still late to church.

There was a blessing in that hurried morning though. . . we were able to do all our hurrying and scurrying together. And when one of us was overwhelmed, the other had a smile. It’s amazing what doing things together can do to change the perspective.

Too many lunch-related things to do meant a rushed Sunday school study for Eric, who teaches the intermediate class. It was help Chayli with this and help Chayli with that, look over the Sunday school lesson a little, throw the roast in the oven, make sure we have our Bibles, and hurry out to the pickup to rush off to church.

There was a blessing in that little-prepared-for Sunday school class though. . . the intermediate class studied the prodigal son, and Eric was able to share some of his own story with children-becoming-adults who need every encouragement they can get. Had he had more time to study, other thoughts might have taken over that personal touch that God uses to reach hearts.

The message was about being abandoned to God and was taken from Matthew 19, and while I felt like I was listening, when I thought about it later, I realized there were a lot of things I’d missed while thoughts of what needed to be done at home took over.

There was a blessing in that half-listened-to sermon though. . . living in abandonment to God doesn’t mean only selling all that we have and giving to the poor, although it might mean that for some of us. It means giving up those things that hold us back from living in complete surrender to God. And as Bro. Joe preached that message, I remembered another he had preached. . . our wedding sermon. And that was a blessing as well.

(Photo Credits: Kristiann Photography)

“Fully surrendered, Lord divine, I will be true to Thee. All that I am or have is Thine; I will be true to Thee.” I sang it with the same distraction with which I’d listened to the message, meaning it with all my heart when I thought about the words I was singing, but easily singing without thinking.

There was a blessing in that closing song though. . . it really struck home when after church one person told another, I believe in you, in relation to the words we’d just sung. And that’s what we’re here for, not only to be surrendered and true but to encourage each other in that path as well.

And then we rushed back home to finish getting ready for lunch. More working together, more hurrying about, more things to do and things to leave undone. Our company came and filled our little house. Little boys ran here and there. A sibling or two played the keyboard. We sat down and ate together, and the hustle and bustle of the morning was all made worthwhile.

And there were so many blessings. . .
. . . my oldest nephew playing a song I love on the keyboard
. . . family gathered around our table
. . . a brief recap of the morning service in the form of trivia questions
. . . compliments on the food and requests for more
. . . my sister washing all the dishes by herself while the rest of us looked at pictures
. . . little boys laughing, sometimes uproariously
. . . blessing and being blessed
. . . playing games with my niece and nephews
. . . and then the silence of a nearly empty house again

We went to church then, and it was singing Sunday, and after the stress and hurry of the day it was lovely to be able to throw ourselves into singing. There were too many blessings to count in that service. . .

The day that I at least had stressed about was over, and it had gone okay. But it was more than that. . . God is so good. He gives us days that are more than just okay. He gives us days filled with blessings; we just need to look for them.