Somebody Is Praying for Your Ordinary

Every now and then, life has a way of convincing us that what we have isn't enough. We complain about the job, the house, the car, the bills, the routine, and even the people God has placed in our lives. We become so focused on what we don't have that we lose sight of the blessings we've already received.

But let me remind you of something today. Your ordinary day is somebody else's miracle. The life you complain about is the very life someone else is praying to have. That paycheck you think isn't enough? Someone is praying for the opportunity to earn it. The home you wish were bigger? Someone is praying for a roof over their head tonight. The family that sometimes tests your patience? Someone is praying for one more hug, one more conversation, one more chance to say, "I love you." Even your health—the part of your life you rarely think about until something goes wrong—is the very blessing someone else would give anything to have restored.

We spend so much time chasing the next blessing that we forget to thank God for the ones we're already living in. Slow down. Look around. Take inventory of what God has already done.

Your time is a gift. Your opportunities are a blessing. Your ability to wake up this morning, breathe without assistance, walk, work, worship, laugh, and love is not something you're entitled to—it's evidence of God's grace.

So before you say, "Nothing is going right," remember this: You're already living a life that someone else wishes they could live. Don't let familiarity rob you of gratitude. Don't let comparison steal your joy. And don't become so busy asking God for more that you forget to thank Him for what you already have.

Because when you learn to appreciate today's blessings, you prepare your heart to receive tomorrow's miracles. From my view from the pew, I've learned that happiness isn't always found in having more. More often than not, it's found in finally recognizing how much God has already given you.

Count your blessings. Thank God for your ordinary. Because to someone else, your ordinary is extraordinary.