Every moment a blessing

My wonderful friend Anna recommended a book to me called 1000 Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I can't get enough of this book and am already planning on re-reading it once I am done! Please check it out for yourself. It has made me think on my life and many blessings in a whole new way. It has made me think on the hard things in life that "I do not deserve" but that perhaps God is using to refine me; only through this "refining" process will I become more like Christ.
In today's culture, everyone seems to think that we "deserve" these blessings. Day to day I go about life not even noticing tremendous gifts that God has given me, because I am "too busy" or "too tired" and they are really just part of being a human being in 2012, right? But Ann's book is daily prompting me to take a closer look at those "everyday gifts." Maybe I am not short on time but very short on thankfulness. Maybe I am not in need of more but in need of noticing what I have.
Right at this moment as I think about the gifts in my life, I see so many wonderful blessings that God has freely given me. I see a sweet dog in my lap and a warm cup of tea. I see a Bible that I can pick up and read anytime without the fear of persecution or abuse. I have the ability to READ the Bible and healthy eyes to see the daffodils out my window. I have abundant food and clean water. I have family and friends to share it with both old friends and new friends. Thinking and reflecting on all of this makes me ask the same question that David asked in Psalm 24: "Who is this King of glory?" The Psalmist repeats the question twice, and I repeat the verse in my head. Who is this who loves me so much that he created me in His image, died on the cross for my sins, and graciously gives me all things in love?
A good job. A long conversation. A pillow. A bubble bath. A sunrise. A cup of coffee. A smile from a stranger. A phone call. A coat of nail polish. A swim. A long walk. A prayer. A good dream. A similarity with someone. A hope for tomorrow.
I don't deserve any of these things and overlook them all. Who is this King of glory that pours them out on me daily? A new madeleine pan. A sister. A simple guitar. A favorite book. A pile of clean towels. I could go on for days...
And who am I to say that things God allows to happen to me are good or bad? Only He can see the whole picture. Only He can say "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." When we say that we pick up our cross and follow Him, we do not say that we will follow Him only down certain paths. We don't get to pick and choose which roads we follow Him down; we just trust that He goes before us just as He went before the people of Israel in Joshua 3. We don't have to know the way. We just need to know Him who does.