Blessings Taken For Granted.

If I were to sit down and write out a list of all the things God has blessed me with in life, it would consist of the classic things we take for granted such as family, friends, food, a roof over my head, etc. I'm sure if you were to do the same, you would have a very similar list. But how often do we forget about one of the biggest blessings God ever gave us? By sending His Son to earth, God gave us the blessing of allowing us to be in a close relationship with Him. We often forget to be grateful for this blessing, and instead just take it for granted. I know in my life, I definitely take this for granted. I can't tell you how many times I've decided to sleep-in instead of doing my morning devotions, or I chose to talk to my mom about my problems rather than going to God first. I know God will always be there, so maintaining a consistent relationship with Him sometimes takes the back burner.

As part of my morning devotional routine I usually read the Jesus Calling for that day. (For those of you unfamiliar with Jesus Calling, it's a devotional written from God's perspective to us.) One particular morning last week, I was having a hard time waking up so I ended up just reading the devotion while I was still half awake and under the covers. That devotion was titled, "Linger In My Presence A While," and it ironically talked about how beginning the day with alone time with God is essential. It said, 

"A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My Presence equips you for the day ahead of you. Only I know what will happen to you this day....If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart."

This those words definitely woke me up. Who am I to think that I can treat my devotions as one more thing to check off my list of things to do? I mean don't get me wrong, I enjoy that quiet time in the mornings...but rather than being grateful for this blessing, I just saw it as another thing I needed to do. The opportunity we have with God to commune with Him and have a relationship with him is such a valuable blessing. Not only is it important that we take the opportunity to enjoy quiet time with the Lord, but it's also to our advantage that we do. Who else knows what's ahead better than God himself? He can help prepare you for whatever comes next, just as a runner prepares before a race. Now I'm not saying that I will never ever skip  morning devotion ever again, because as an imperfect woman that's bound to happen....but I pray that I will never let myself forget what a true blessing it actually is.