Don't Worry - Count!

by Brandy Webb

For months, I have been working on overcoming a bad habit. My bad habit is dwelling on things that are not working out the way I hoped. I have realized that my dwelling turns into a perfect “magnifying glass” that makes the problems a lot larger than they really are, and keeps me from noticing the blessings in my life.

The sad thing is, when I find myself in these moments of weakness, I sometimes work really hard to justify how I feel rather than putting my mind back on the right track. But, once I finally listen to that deeper inner voice, you know the voice that is most likely coming from the Holy Spirit since it speaks sound wisdom, I finally start snapping myself out of it. The most common thing that the inner voice tells me is to list my blessings and rejoice.

I know that if I were to write on a piece of paper my blessings and then list my non-blessings, the blessings side would totally win. There are many people in the world that have gone through much worse things than I have, and I have to remember that my Savior is one of those people. So, when I start feeling sorry for myself, I am actually belittling His sacrifice because I am not acknowledging that I have a Savior that knows how I feel, understands what I am going through, and is there to help me through it.

See, He is always there and always working with us. Each day is actually a miracle. Life ends abruptly a lot. So, each morning when the light wakes us, the first thing out of our mouth should be, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). I will be honest; it does help me when I start my day with that thought.

Each day is a gift. It gives us one more day to witness the Father’s miracles in our lives, one more chance to say I love you, one more chance to say I’m sorry, one more day to laugh, one more day to cry, one more day to…you can fill in the blank.

A thankful rejoicing heart will not have room for anxieties and worries. Therefore, when the cares of this world start to get you down, remember to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18a), and to bless the Lord with your whole heart and soul and to not forget all His benefits (Psalm 103:1–2). When we do this, we can overcome the negative thoughts.

So get out the pen and paper and list your blessings. Then, “count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done...”