A long time ago, when I was struggling through some difficult times, my friend gave me 14,000 things to be happy about, a small but thick book written by Barbara Ann Kipfer. The 612-page book is literally a list of 14,000 things that can bring a smile to your face. Some of my personal favorites are “dinner with laughter,” “braking for rainbows,” “encouraging your children to be creative,” “frogs,” “a lake catching the last flecks of sunlight coming in over the pines,”and “extremely tiny pancakes formed from the batter that fell off the ladle.” Seeing this book reminds me that, while we can’t choose our experiences, we can choose how we react to them. In effect, we can choose happiness.
I am confident that, even in the midst of difficulties, if you look hard enough, you will find that God has provided at least 14,000 blessings in your life. They may be small or large, hidden or out in the open, but they are there. If you struggle to find the blessings, remember that, like the old commercial, God cared enough to send his very best–his son. That is the biggest blessing we will ever receive.
In God’s Love,
Kim Whipkey
