As the weather cools, my husband and I are spending more and more time outdoors in the morning time.  With coffee in hand, we watch nature as it puts on a dress of many colors. 

Recently we watched as a deer scampered across our lawn with her little one by her side.  Turkeys searched the field for nourishment unaware they were being watched.  A mocking bird made it sound as if  there were multitudes of various birds in the trees surrounding us.  A little chickadee made his appearance, wanting credit for the song he was singing.  My gaze lingered on a humming bird at our feeder.  I watched as this wee bird drank and drank of the sweet nectar that Richard had prepared.   I waited for it to fill its tummy and fly away.  But that didn't happen.  It sat on the perch after feeding as if anticipating  newcomers. Then it happened.  Two more humming birds came for breakfast.   The first bird immediately took the position as guard of the feeder.   No one would drink from his fountain of delight.   We watched as the struggle for a drink continued.   The humming birds tried endlessly to get to the sweet liquid, but to no avail.

As we watched this greedy little bird protect what he deemed to be  his, I smiled as I thought of the endless supply of nourishment  available to all the birds around our home.  There was more than enough for all of them.  I was reminded of our Heavenly Father's endless supply of love to us.

We bask in all the good things brought into our lives, but many times we don't share the source of our good life with others.  It's easy to say we work hard to have the good things of life. But who gave us the health and strength to work hard?  It's easy to say we planned to have two or three children, but who caused that life to start? It's easy to say we educated ourself to get the very job we longed for, but who gave us sharp minds to attain this?   Sometimes God gets the credit for all the bad things, but is never thanked for the good fortune in our lives. It doesn't just happen. There is a provider of good things.

We love to hear, "thank you" from our children.  God is no different in that respect. Maybe it's time we make a decision to begin our day with thanksgiving, starting with the night of rest we were given.  Thanking God gets His attention, just as our children get our attention when they say, "Thank you!" 

"Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, 
coming down from the Father of light, 
with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
                           James 1:17

~GIFTS ~