This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite movies of all time (I know it is a little early for a Christmas story, but just humor me - and for those who know me well, you know this is not that unusual for me). It is a touching story of others reaching out to bless someone. There is no motivation other than simply to "give the nicest Christmas present he'll ever get, to the nicest man we'll ever know." These men had been blessed by the "Old Man" in the army, and in turn, wanted to bless him. At the time, things were not going so well for the old guy. Retirement was not panning out like he thought it would. All his money was sunk into a "business venture" that just was not working out. Broke, unable to return to service, and few prospects on the horizon, things looked bleak. Yet through the movie, what do you see - a man full of joy and at peace that things will work out.
Not one given to fretting. Not one to focus on the negative. He walk through life with a simple joy. He looked for the silver lining and found the good in each situation. He counted the blessings he had, and was thankful. He even sought to bless others in the midst of his misfortune (remember the sister act). He chose to focus not on the problems, but on the blessings he had been given. Charles Dickens once said, "Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." This is the choice the general made - to focus on the present blessings instead of the misfortune.
This is not an easy thing for us as people to do. Many of us naturally see the problems. At times words of complaint or frustration are much more quick to proceed from us, than words of thankfulness. Instead of seeing blessings, often our focus is on the problems and difficulties. It is easy to get overwhelmed and think the worst, or let our minds "run away with us" as we focus on the problems and worry about what will happen. With so many things every day that seem to be negative, often that is all we see.
This is easy to do and can happen without us even realizing it. Sometimes we are down the "rabbit trail" before we even know what happens. When we find ourselves in this place, we need to simply stop, set our eyes on Him, and remember a few of those blessings we have been given. Sometimes, we may have to do this a dozen or more times before it sticks, but we must remember that our focus will determine our reality.
Blessings, desired by all, but easily overlooked when present. We all have many - many more that we honestly realize - and we need to stop, look around, and remember them. A few weeks ago, we had the wonderful privilege of watch my two nieces get dedicated at church. We, family and friends, gathered around and prayed, not only for the little girls, but also for my sister and her family.
Standing there, watching, I was overwhelmed with the thought of how truly blessed I am. I realized I could sit for hours and count so many things I have been blessed with, and so many things to be thankful for. What blessings are you thankful for? What things around you can you focus on instead of the negative? Take time each day to count these and simply remember the blessings of God, even when it seems like we are surround by difficulties. When we do, it will change the reality in which we are living.
- Charles Dickens quote taken from www.brainyquotes.com
- Bing Crosby quotes taken from White Christmas
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