Everyday Miracles

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

I am struck nearly every day with how amazing God is. Most of the time it's when I'm nursing Vivienne, and she is so sweet and vulnerable, and completely trusting in her mommy. I can't help but stroke her round head and her soft, fuzzy hair and smell her sweet skin. She still has that baby smell that smells like milk and happiness. I am utterly in love with my children, and feel so unworthy of the blessing God has bestowed on me through them. 

Vivienne passed out in her daddy's arms

I've recently been reading the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and it has opened my eyes to a lot of truths about my faith. I have been struggling with the weight of my sins since I was a teenager. I really felt that things I had done in my life were unforgivable.  Reading that book made me realize that I was not accepting God's gift of grace and mercy. Since realizing that I have been trying to accept it every day, and it has made me realize how much grace and mercy is pouring though my life. It's overflowing and cascading and covering every aspect of my existence!

I watched a documentary a couple of days ago on the sinking of the Costa Concordia, and in it several experts in the shipping industry made the point that, even with modern safety measures and sea charts and highly technological boats, there's really no way to guarantee safety, and it's pretty amazing that we have even devised a way to cross the untamable oceans at all. It made me realize that when disaster strikes and people ask why, it might be more apt to simply praise God for the thousands of times it didn't. Instead, we become complacent and feel that safety is our entitlement, which is incredibly presumptuous. That's why I'm trying to remember to praise God every day for every thing I have, but most especially my husband and children.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. - James 4:14