Daily Gifts

I woke up and I realized my alarm had not gone off, but it still seemed early,  my room was still dark. It should have been getting light according to the time on my clock.  I got up and looked out the window to see rain and gray skies. What a blessing! We need the rain.  I took my coffee to the back porch to enjoy the sight... sound... and smell of the rain.  Soft rain. Peaceful rain. A gift.

The rain wet the soil beneath the grass and brought the robins to forage for worms.  My tree was full of life this morning with cardinals, doves, blue-jays, finches, chick-a-dees, a downy woodpecker and my pesky squirrels. The hummingbirds were at the feeders. The rain was refreshing and welcomed by all.

Do you believe in miracles?  I do. When we speak of miracles what do we usually think of?  Big, unusual, unexpected, healing, water into wine, parting the Red Sea.  Right?  I do believe in those miracles, but I also believe in the small ones, the overlooked ones.   We look for and wait for the big miracles, but we overlook the small wonders in our lives.  They just pass by without a second glance.  We get so busy or lazy or just unaware that we fail to catch them as they flutter by or literally land right in front of us.

These little miracles, these small moments in time - these are gifts!  They are given to us daily. We are very often blessed with more than one.  We just have to recognize them.

What am I talking about?

Quiet time. Be still, empty your mind for a few minutes. Use your senses; look, listen, smell.  You will soon learn to find joy in the smallest things.  Just reach out and receive the offerings that come your way.  You will be blessed.  Your heart will sing and your soul will light up!


Start a list of your little miracles, your gifts, give gratitude for each and everyone.  My list is very long, but here are 15 things on my list:

1. morning's first light
2. silence
3. a spider web
4. a beautiful sunset
5. a hug
6. a kind word, given or received
7. cold watermelon in the summer
8. a child's laughter
9. an owl hooting in the dark
10. the smell of rain
11. the look of wonder on a child's face
12. a full moon
13. walking barefoot on damp grass
14. a stranger's smile
15. dew drops sparkling in the morning sun

Last night's gorgeous sunset

Yesterday's gifts,
a hummingbird and an anole lizard in the same photo!

Today's gift, rain.

I will leave you with a quote from Leo Tolstoy:

"If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful of the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you."