Magnify Small Mercies
The call to magnify small mercies is something I don’t think about near enough. I have been pondering on that today as I just got out of the shower.
You see, our family has been hit with sickness pretty hard this week. When you have a large family and it goes from one person to the next it can be a while before you feel a part of society again. For me, in particular, it has been a long time since I have felt really well. The other day after struggling for weeks with a cough that just wouldn’t go away I finally went into the dr. I also took my 6-year-old who had been hit with a very high fever. He was diagnosed with Influenza Type A. Not only did the dr tell me I most likely had the flu as well, but he diagnosed me with an upper AND lower respiratory infection. By the next day, there was no doubt I did indeed have the flu. Which leads me to my shower today.
After feeling so ill and laying in bed with zero energy I was reminded of the days when I had my chronic illness. And I realized again how I can take things for granted. This is where it comes in to magnify small mercies. When I was in the depths of my adrenal fatigue, the simplest small task became huge. Little things were overwhelming, simple decisions impossible to make. As I recovered my strength and began to feel somewhat normal again, every ability became a mercy to me. To be able to go to the store and not crash afterward, was a mercy. To go on a field trip with my little boy and not have to be on the couch the next day, was a mercy. And yes, to take a shower was a mercy.
When you are stripped away of the little things that everyone takes for granted and then those are returned to you, gratefulness abounds and you learn to magnify small mercies. Today as I was taking a shower and it did not hurt for the water to touch my skin, and I could shampoo my grimy hair and crawl back into bed feeling fresh and clean, it was a mercy.
Life has been super busy for us the past few months. We have had wedding planning, senior graduation events, and our virtual assistant business has been thriving. These are all good things, even happy stress, can take its toll and I had been feeling more and more like I have been running at a pace that is not good. And in all the busyness, have I been magnifying small mercies, or have I been hurried along in the bustle of life? Have I been grateful to be able to take a warm shower, snuggle with a little one, or go to the store with strength?
How can you, dear mama, magnify small mercies today? I would encourage you stop and write down 10 things right now and magnify small mercies that the Lord has given you today.
Maybe you do have chronic affliction, daily pain or limited strength. I also exhort you to magnify small mercies from the Lord in your life. Is there sunshine out your window? If it’s cloudy and rainy, do you have warm heat and cozy blankets? Has a family member brought you something and served you today? Has a friend encouraged you? Or most importantly, has the Lord given you a verse of comfort today? Where is your focus? Where are your eyes looking?
To magnify small mercies can make all the difference in our perspective. My dear sister Sarah has been a huge example to me in this. If you haven’t read her post Sanctification in Afflictions please do so.
P.S. As I was preparing this post from my bed my daughter came in with a flower she had picked and presented to me with a kiss. I thank the Lord for this small mercy today.
Jenny is the blessed mother of 8 children ages 21-6 and happy wife of 23 years to Steve. She has been a blogger since before the internet (not really 😉 ) and is the owner of amothersheritage.com. She has a home business serving entrepreneurs at Concordia Virtual and is a certified birth and labor doula with Cradled in Love Birth Services.