Two Little Feet: One Thousand Gifts of Thankfulness #1



The sound of a baby crying a few inches from where I lie jostles and fully awakens me. At first, I frown. What could be so wrong to cause that shrill scream? Surely, whatever it is can't be that bad.

Before bedtime everything was done right. Little hands and feet shampooed and toweled dry. Jet black, curly, unruly hair oiled, caressed and brushed. Little mouth wiped dry from random spills. "Aaaah Gaaaah," he mumbled in baby language while I wiped him dry. Double layers of clothing on his chest to keep away the cold, cold night. He smelled of that fine baby powder just before he was rocked to sleep. So what could have possibly gone wrong at midnight?

It was nothing terrible, I assure you. He sucked his lips once and I knew the drill. It was hunger. It's a game we play, he sucks and I feed. Only, he likes to play the game at midnight too.

The truth is I am happy he knows how to tell me. Sometimes in life we need to snap out of the 'cries' to see the real message.

Out of the busy-ness of tight schedules, the ridiculousness of winter, and the sound of a dying car engine, I find a heart of gratitude. Father, today I am thankful for the sound of a crying baby who wants nothing but his usual milliliters of liquid food.

Do you realize how blessed you are? Even in the midst of the imperfection around you, and in the middle of the uncertainty of the future, there's one thing you can be confident about if (and only if) you constantly listen to the voice of God. This is it. Deuteronomy 28:3, "Blessed shall you be in the city & blessed shall you be in the field."

In the midst of whatever it is you find yourself in, look around you to find that one thing that makes everything else small. It's your blessing. Many times it's usually more than one thing.

PS: This year I'll be joining a host of other bloggers in counting 1000 Gifts of Thankfulness. What are you thankful for? Today, I'm thankful for two little feet. :)