“The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning, it’s time to sing Your song again,
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.” (song, “Ten Thousand Reasons”, by Matt Redmond)
It doesn’t take much to be inspired, living here in America’s heartland. Many times I am reminded of this beautiful song when I view yet another stunning sunrise from a high ridge here in the Iowa countryside. You can’t believe how many times, early in the morning, I have jumped up, grabbed my camera and scurried through the front door to capture yet another gorgeous, colorful sunrise, declaring, “Before me is the most beautiful sunrise ever!” But that’s only the beginning of all that inspires me from my view of this world. I, too, have 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord.
When I was a little girl, time and again I would climb up upon a fence post located between my house and my grandparents house. I would look around at the beautiful countryside from my perch and sing my heart out…..just like the birds. Even then I had a longing in my heart to thank God for the beauty that surrounded me. (Wish I could hear that little voice and those spontaneous lyrics today!) Even then, as a little child, I knew I had something to sing about.
Tears well up and my heart throbs with joy when I see a grandchild at my table bowing in prayer with gentle, folded hands; a son or daughter carrying their child through the front doors of the church; a grandchild asking from the backseat of my car if she could read scripture to me from her Kindle as we happily travel down the road; grandchildren heading out the door with overalls and boots and gloves on, to help Grandpa and Daddy chore; a granddaughter scrambling to find an apron so she can “cook something up with Grandma or Mommy in the kitchen; or looking across the sanctuary and seeing a little family, our own flesh and blood, worshipping our Lord and Savior. These are the some of the things in life that are priceless to me—that overwhelm me with joy—- I cannot hold back the tears of gratitude I feel toward my Lord, my Heavenly Father. It’s in these everyday scenes I get a tiny glimpse of how He must feel when we live out our daily lives with Him in mind. Yes, He cares about these little things, too.
By Denise
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul; I’ll worship Your Holy name, Jesus, I’ll worship Your Holy Name.”
