A Mike Lester cartoon pictured a housewife who was speaking to her husband who had evidently just returned home from the office. She said, "The water heater burst, the basement’s flooded, the dishwasher overflowed, the dog has been “going” everywhere, the kids are tracking mud all over the house and yet…I feel like the luckiest woman on earth.” She was holding a mop and on the table next to her was a newspaper with the headlines ‘EARTHQUAKE TRIGGERS MASSIVE TSUNAMI KILLING THOUSANDS’.

This mommy’s one-of-those-days was grabbed by the reality that even on one-of-those-days we don’t necessarily have it all that bad. God has been kind to us – to all of us – in more ways than we can count.

I prefer modern music, but this reminds me of the old hymn that says, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one; count your blessings; see what God has done.” Each of us would have a different list, but God has blessed us all: some with children, some with spouses, some with riches, some with health, some with friends, some with good looks, some with wisdom, and some with talents. None of us has been blessed in every realm, or maybe as much as we would desire, but we are still blessed. At a bare minimum we have been blessed with the gift of eternal life which is available for the taking by merely believing in Jesus. Even if that was all we had, that alone would be worth more than all the riches in the world!

Parenting can be hard. We all know that. But God wants us to maintain a spirit of thankfulness, not of resentment or regret. Enjoy your children and the difficulties that come with them. What fool after winning the lottery would resent all the shopping he has to do? God has blessed you immensely! Be thankful for how good you have it and remember all that God had done for you.

Psalms 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.