Keep a Book of Blessings – September 29, 2002
A young bride was disheartened several weeks after her marriage to learn that her Prince Charming was not the fantasy creation of her dreams, but a human after all, and one who sometimes forgot to pick up his socks.
As the months rolled by, she noticed fault after fault, making a mental list of the dozens of things she would change about him. Her critical view of him overshadowed his endearing attributes, and she became miserably unhappy.
When she confided in her parents what a terrible choice she had made, her wise father gave her this advice: Keep a record of the positive things. The young woman couldn’t imagine how that could erase her husband’s flaws, but every day she kept a journal of things he did right, or traits she admired. Within a few weeks, she couldn’t believe how much he had changed!
In truth, it was only her attitude that had changed, and she saved her marriage by looking for the good, instead of searching for the bad.
So it is with our own lives and the sorrows or blessings we focus upon. When we give in to negative outlooks, hasty judgments, and self pity, the world looks bleak and our troubles loom larger than anyone else’s. The solution is to change our perspective and to look at our lives from the “blessings” standpoint instead of the “tribulations” standpoint.
Writing down joys and blessings in a journal can greatly increase our sense of joy and gratitude. As we purposely look for the wonders of God’s love for us, we will find pages upon pages of blessings to list. Our humility will increase as we realize how vast our spiritual gifts truly are. And just as the bride discovered, we will learn that happiness was right before us all along.
Program #3815