Take Inventory

You may remember that in the novel Robinson Crusoe, one of the first things Crusoe did when he found himself on a deserted island was to write a list. On one side of the list, he wrote down all his problems. On the other side, he wrote down all of his blessings.

On one side he wrote: I do not have any clothes. On the other side, he wrote: But it’s warm and I don’t really need any. On one side he noted: All of the provisions were lost. On the other side, he added: But there’s plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island. And on down the list he went. In this way, he discovered that for every negative aspect of his situation, there was still something for which to be grateful.

There are times when we feel as though we are on an island of despair. Through his novel, Daniel Defoe offers us some good advice. However, we don’t have to wait for the tough times to recall our blessings. Maybe today is a good day to sit down and make a list, take an inventory, and a list of blessings for which we can give thanks.

Let us pray: Gracious God, this is the day that you have made, and so we rejoice and are glad in it. Today, give us eyes to see and hearts to delight in all our many blessings – freely given from your hand. Amen.