Counting my blessings instead of sheep

published November 17, 2011
in the Stockton Sentinel
Stockton, Kansas

“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep, counting my blessings.” Many of you will recall that song by Irving Berlin, made famous by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. (And then there are those who are wondering, “Who are they?”) It’s a sweet little crooner that I haven’t heard for a long time but would like to hear again, because it’s one of those melodies that gets stuck in your head and you can’t get it out. I like songs like that, especially when the words that go along with the tune are equally good. Hopefully the mere mention of the words brings the song to your mind where it will stick for a day or two. 

It’s usually not worries that keep me from sleeping. It’s the snores of the blessing on the pillow next to mine, or the snores and squeaks from the four-legged blessing curled up on the comforter next to the bed. At 2:00 a.m., counting those blessings who are snoring on both sides of me does not help me fall asleep. It’s at that time that I’m thankful for the blessing of a comfy couch where I can return to counting my blessings so I can fall asleep.

We’re in that beautiful time of the year – the season of gratitude called “Thanksgiving.” It’s the time of year when we may pause a little longer than usual to contemplate all our blessings. It’s also the time when we may chide ourselves for not acknowledging those blessings on a daily basis. We know we should walk in an attitude of gratitude every day, but that’s not always easy. What is easy is getting bogged down by the worries and cares of the day.

It’s really ironic that this season of gratitude is followed immediately by the season of want. If you have young children or grandchildren, you know exactly what I mean because you hear it a lot: I want, I want, I want. As adults, we’re not immune from want. How many times have we wanted something we don’t have? Almost every day. I know I’m guilty of it. After tearing our house up and remodeling for several months, what I want most right now is to get our house back in order.

The trouble with getting stuck in the rut of want is that we quit walking in gratitude. And when we’re not walking in gratitude, we miss the many blessings along the way. It may take a conscious effort to crawl out of the rut of want and to focus on the good things that bless our lives every day, but the sun will be shining a whole lot brighter on the up side of the rut.

It’s good that we have this season of gratitude to contemplate our many blessings. Making that conscious effort to bring thoughts of gratitude to the forefront of our minds, squashing out all the wants and to-do lists, is a good exercise for the heart. Even if it’s at 2:00 a.m.