Finding Joy in the Small Things

Psalm 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."

Today my family and I went to the park for a bit in the afternoon. We played catch, Frisbee, kicked a playground ball around, sent baby Miriam down the slide over and over, and generally had a really good time. :) One thing happened while we were there that I thought was so cool. We had been playing with a nice Frisbee I got my dad for his birthday last week, and somehow one of the youngest boys took it over to some other kids and left it somewhere where they had been. We really did not want to lose that thing after having only used it a couple of times, but we really couldn't find it anywhere. We were thinking that the other people had possibly walked off with it or something. I started walking all over this huge grassy area, and as I went I prayed, "Lord, I know this isn't really important, but I would really love it if you would help me to find that Frisbee." And about 20 seconds later, there it was! :) That was just something little that The Lord chose to do for me, but it really made me happy...I love it when He proves, yet again, that He does care about the things we care about! 

You know what hit me, though? I honestly believe it must grieve The Lord when He sends all these hundreds of "small" blessings into our lives every single day without fail, and we never really acknowledge or thank Him for them. What are some things that make you really happy, just little everyday things, that you take for granted? I'll list a few of mine:

• A good cup of Espresso. Approximately twice as strong as most people I know like it, and half as strong as my parents like it. ;)
• My mug. It's just a cheap mug I got one day from Big Lots...It has an orange "M" on it, and orange and blue flowers/birds. But I LOVE that mug!
• Taking a nap when I'm really tired.
• A pretty view. I saw some amazing views just this morning when I went hiking with my brother.
• My baby sister saying "Uh-Oh" whenever anyone drops something. :)
• Playing a song on the piano that I know well.
• Getting a letter or package in the mail.
• Listening to music with headphones.
• Driving by myself with the windows down, singing. (It's the only time I can go all out and no one will care, ok? :D Look out, high notes, I'm coming for you. Haha!)
• Playing a game with the family and/or friends.

Ok, so tell me: is any of the stuff I just listed necessary to my life? Nope. If I never did any of that again, my life would not end. However. Those little things are what can turn a blah, mediocre day into a fun, special day. And yet, as I drink my cup of awesome homemade espresso, or sit down to play the piano, do I usually thank The Lord for it? No. Hardly ever, in fact. That's really convicting to me! Why should I only thank Him for the "big" things, when it's those little things that make ordinary days special? (Not saying we shouldn't give thanks for the big things as well. That should go without saying.)

I really want to take more time this week to thank God for all the small blessings He pours out into my life. As the verse at the beginning of this post puts it, He LOADS us with benefits! Let's try to put more effort into noticing and praising Him for all of those benefits! I hope you all have a lovely weekend! :)
Mykaela