Monday Memories .....

.... of the things in my life that I'm thankful for, things that show me how much God loves me ..... if I only take the time to see them.

28.  The warmth and strength of a hand in mine as it squeezes encouragement, love and support at the "Amen" of a prayer.

29.  Standing at the ocean, watching the waves rolling over each other, each competing to be the first to shore.

30.  The diamond-like sparkles in the floating ocean foam as it comes in and floats back out ..... as it separates and then comes back into one shape.

31.  Hearing whispered insights as I walk along the shore.

32.  The people I worked with, worship with .... and love.

I'm guessing that you could tell that those thankful moments came while I was somewhere near an ocean.  :)
I love being at an ocean ..... any ocean.  How can anyone not be awestruck when standing on the shore and looking out at the immenseness?  The sound of waves crashing in during the night is like a lullaby.
And ..... one of the best things ..... it's never the same.  You see something different every time you walk along a shore.  The ocean continuously moves, changing the shape of things.  It brings all kinds of surprises up from its depths .... some that are wonderful treasures, some that are just pieces of debris.

It's a lot like life, isn't it?
Things are constantly changing .... even when we aren't aware of them.  Some changes are subtle, some are life-changing.
Life gives a lot of surprises.  Many surprises are wonderful treasures.  Some are like pieces of debris.  And some, some are like monsoons ...... bringing death, devastation and grief ..... forever changing the landscape that was once a life.

I am thankful.
I have survived a monsoon.
My landscape has changed .... and continues to change.
It went from full of life, hopes, dreams and blessings ...... to death, despair, unfathomable grief .... and blessings.
And, like the physical landscape after a monsoon,  after a time (a time that cannot be measured) .... life starts to re-grow in the barren, devastated places.  It doesn't look the same as it did before the storm, but it can be good again, and full of life.

Yes, I have survived.
And I am thankful.
I have many, many blessings to be thankful for.

But then .... I always did.

Happy Monday, Peeps.
I hope you can see your blessings.
:)