Count Them One By One

Know where that title comes from?  There is an old, old song “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed…”  It’s a childs song, though we’ve sung it at church many a time.  The song reminds us that when things seem bad and life is a turmoil, it helps to count ones blessing, rather than dwell on the turmoil.  In doing so, one can often be reminded just how good one has it!

This thought came to me today because I had a narrow escape with serious injury.  I’ll tell a bit about that in a moment.  But as I reflected on what happened, and realized that, once again, God has blessed me and protected me, I was surprised to recognize just how God has been doing this all along.

Well, it doesn’t really surprise me, actually.  I’ve considered the blessings of God numerous times.  Lots and lots and lots of times, to be honest.  If you want a specific number of times, it’s easy… God has blessed me a bajillion times a bajillion times!

Yesterday is the 5th Anniversary of my mom’s passing.  On September 7, 2007, Mom went home to be with God.  Wow!  How long that’s been, and yet it seems yesterday.  Mom was the first of the blessings God has given me.  Sorry to everyone out there, but Mom was the best Mom a guy could have!  You’ll have to trust me on that.

And in 2 weeks, we’ll be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of Dad’s going home to be with Mom and with God.  Dad is the second of  the blessings God has given me.  Dad was the best Dad a guy could have!  You’ll have to trust me on that.

While I’m in the blessing counting, let me not forget Paul & Bob, my two brothers.  They are the third and fourth blessings God has given me.  They’re the best brothers a guy could have!  You’ll have to trust me on that, as well!

Then, there’s my Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Wendell, Uncle Lyle and Aunt Regina, cousin’s Dan & Kathy, and Missy, Cassy, Amy, David, Molly & Bryan… wow!  Lots and lots of … God’s blessings in my life!  And the best family a guy could have!  You’ll have to trust me there, as well.  And Uncle Lew!  Another real blessing!

And finally, in that line of thinking, there’s Scott.  I suspect that Scott is at the nadir ZENITH! of all blessings God has poured out upon me.  And he’s the best husband a man could have.  Trust me. 😉

God has walked through life with me and taken such care.  At every fork in my life’s journey, God has been standing there, pointing me in to a new job.

When I walked drunk along a a bridge’s guard rail, hoping to fall to my death below, God wouldn’t let that happen.

This summer, there have been two separate events that could have been very serious.  The first was the accident in Wyoming that I wrote about earlier.  I made a stupid mistake, I could have paid dearly for that mistake, but came away without even a scratch!  God was there.  God blessed me that evening, I knew it then.  I know it today.

And then there is today.  What can I say?  Wow!  Here’s what happened.  Scott and I bought a couple of “bagsters” to handle all the debris from our bathroom demo.  But some things didn’t fit in those bags.  The heavy cast iron bathtub, the toilet, the bathroom sink and a bunch of other junk.  Today we loaded all that in our pickup and set off for the Recycling Center here in CB… also known as “the Dump”.

After depositing the pieces of the tub in the scrap metal bin we drove over to the “all other stuff” pile and backed up as close to the pile as I could get.  Putting on my work gloves I climbed up in the bed of the truck, and started throwing stuff out in to the pile, being careful to avoid the plate glass window to one side of the truck.  Not sure why, but someone dumped a single pane window, 5 feet by 8 feet, framed.  It was sitting to the side of our truck about 14 inches off the ground.  The last thing I did was pick up the toilet, wrapping my arms around it to get a good grip.  Stepping to the edge of the tailgate, I flung that  toilet as hard as I could.

I don’t really know what happened, but some part of that toilet snagged on the edge of the glove.  As I let go of the toilet, it ripped me from the back of the truck, pulling me through the air over 5 feet, right on to the plate glass window.  I landed knees and wrists down, and that window pane held.  It did not break.  I’ve seen windows break when the smallest things hit them… and here I am, a 235 pound man, who has now flown 5 feet and dropped a good 3 feet onto that piece of glass… and nothing!

I told Scott that it must have been plexiglass.  But he confirmed it was not plexiglass… it was the real thing!

Now you tell me.  How many blessings does THAT count for?  More than 1 if you ask me.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

 Thank you God.