In a Mirror Dimly

One of my favorite things about vacation was our walk to Chinook Pier for the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and Thursday. I loved the colors and the people. Fresh blueberries to sample. Hungry shoppers choosing fresh produce for their families. Bouquets of sunflowers to enjoy. Proud, local farmers displaying the fruit of their labor.

It was like a feast for the senses. The whole adventure always made me think of “bounty”. As I looked at basket upon basket of colorful variety, I couldn’t help but think of bounty. And, while everyday is not a Farmer’s Market, there is, in fact, bounty all around us. Sometimes we just fail to see it.

Whether because of our circumstances or our stresses or our disposition, we often just miss the bounty. When life is tragic or relationships are painful, it’s hard to see bounty. When we’re stuck in the rut of our own agenda and to-do lists, it’s hard to see bounty.

But I’m convinced that it’s always there. In some form – whether in the internal or external realities. There is indeed ample reason for gratitude.  

When I looked at synonyms for the word bountiful, I found words like plentiful, abundant, generous, copious, profuse, ample, and numerous.

Is that what I really believe? That my simple life, in my small house, in my Midwestern, non-glamorous town is plentiful? Do I really believe that God’s disposition toward me (even in hard times) is generous? Copious? Abundant? That’s what Jesus said He came to give me…life abundant.

Please join me in living that reality. I’m continuing my journey of gratitude: starting by noticing the bounty with my list of 1,000 things.

How about you? Would you join me and others who are pausing with thanks at the beginning of each week? You don’t have to be a blogger. All you need is a pencil and a sheet of paper to start your list. You’ll be amazed at the transformation that begins in your heart. It’s a simple act but a powerful one.

If you do decide to join in the fun, will you drop me an e-mail or post a comment? I’d love to rejoice in life’s gifts along with you. If you live nearby, we can encourage each other in person or share lists over tea some morning. Thanks for taking time to embrace the bounty…

Vacation bounty scribbled in my journal while we were away:

21. Turning train tracks near our house into a family adventure – pennies on the tracks in the evenings and fun discovery in the morning.

22. Sunset on the beach.

23. Pizza and ice-cream with friends whom we had just started getting to know in Ohio. Sadly, they moved to Michigan a few months ago. What a treat that we ended up vacationing near their new home!

24. Tea room with my Madison on a rainy day. She’s becoming such a little lady and conversationalist.

25. Exploring the local library with Maddie. I love that we share a love for books!

26. Caleb asking me to snuggle in the evenings. I was afraid with all his summer travels and his double digit birthday that maybe snuggling Mom would be history. I’m so glad it’s not!

27. Laughter as Rick tickled the kids and played hide-and-seek with them in a different house. New places to hide!

28. Dominoes! It’s become a great family game that all of us can enjoy. So much laughter around the table together as we built our Mexican Trains!

29. Letterboxing in the dunes along Lake Michigan!

30. Lots of family jokes, conversations, and memories to bond us together.

Bountiful indeed. Abundant. Plentiful. Generous. Copious. Profuse. Ample. Numerous.