Count your blessings

 December 20, 2018

My fifth day of Christmas: a midnight reflection on counting my blessings

(Ilagan City, Isabela) I can’t sing but my ever favorite LDS hymn is Hymn 241, “Count Your Blessings” because I know it by heart. When I am disappointed and discouraged, I always find myself virtually humming, “…when all is lost, count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done…”

At this moment, when half of the world is still sleeping, I take this as an hour to meditate and thank Heavenly Father what He has done for me this year.

Heavenly Father, I am grateful that you brought me and my family safely to the strawberry farm, Stobosa, the Lion’s head, the haunted Dominican and Laperal houses, and literally goofing around at the city of pines last summer with side trip to Dagupan beach in Pangasinan and a quick visit to Manaoag. It was a long, yet memorable trip especially for the kids. Thank you for making that trip possible.

Not long after that Baguio trip, you let me and my family experience once again the laidback seascape nature tripping at Anguib Beach in Santa Ana, Cagayan. It was a quick, yet a much-needed respite from work. Thank you.

August was indeed a surprise month for me. I could never imagine that the whole family – my nieces and nephews and all those kids would ever visit me at home to join and celebrate with me on my day of birth. It was the first… and I was and still grateful for the gesture. What surprised me the most before the month ended was, when I was called and awarded “Natatanging Kawani” in my field of work. Again, it was surprising, very unexpected and mysterious. I even hesitated because I wasn’t even a nominee, yet my most profound thanks for the recognition.

Heavenly Father, your mysterious ways always exceeds my expectations. I couldn’t believe that before this year ends, I could attend a seminar in Baguio City. It was indeed a big boost to my professional growth, especially in terms of news writing and documentation in local governance. Thank you.

The province of Isabela lies in a typhoon belt, and this year, typhoons Ompong and Rosita devastated the province. Twice, the province was declared under the state of calamity. I couldn’t even imagine how I “survived” while I was all alone when Ompong and Rosita ravaged houses and crops. But I wasn’t alone – because you were there with me in all these double whammy wrath and fury. Thank you.

Heavenly Father, you never failed to hear all my plead to bless me with good health. Everyday as I take my maintenance meds, I always keep a little prayer and bowed down for mercy. Except for occasional dizziness and nausea, there has been no major health issues. Thank you for always reminding me that health is wealth, indeed.

To top all these, all the non-physical and unseen struggles – all my failures, mistakes, regrets, sorrows, discouragements, disappointments, the death eaters and all the dementors in my life are actually blessings in disguise. Somehow they are my source of strength and courage to go on, to carry on, to move on and go with life positively. All these are my personal acknowledgment that without God, I can do nothing – a realization that I am not lost, that God won’t give me trials and burdens I can’t bear.

Heavenly Father, I know I can’t thank you enough with this short note, as the hymn suggests, count your blessings one by one , but I know you know my heart that I thank you everyday for all the blessings you showered me. Thank you…Your humble servant Is forever grateful.