WE ARE A TEAM Author Unknown

There is an old hymn that speaks contrary to our human nature. The songwriter penned these words long ago:

"Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done."

When was the last time you paused in the midst of a hectic, frantic day and counted your blessings?

We are far more prone to complain, to labor over our trials, to worry over our predicaments and to sulk over our misfortunes. Counting blessings in times of trouble is not a natural thing. Perhaps this is why we have too many melancholy Christians today filled with despair, disappointment and depression.

Well, if truth be told, I was there once. I lost track of God's goodness and mercy; I failed to take notice of the daily bread and blessings He brought my way. Thus, I allowed struggles to crowd God out and to cloud over His everlasting kindness.

While I was in this frame of mind and spirit, a person in my church invited me to join him at a high school soccer game. Since the school was just a few blocks down the road, I decided to walk to the game and take my five-year-old daughter, Clairees, and my two-year-old son, JD, along.

The kids really enjoyed the game (even more so the refreshments from the concession stand), but I was so caught up in the clutches of depression that, although physically at the game, I was mentally somewhere else.

After the game, my kids and I began to walk back home. Both youngsters had a bounce to their step, and their conversation was upbeat, filled with excitement. I, on the other hand, walked slowly, still wrestling with the depression within. Then a God-sent miracle took place. Clairees made her way to my side and slippe dher tiny hand into mine. She began to swing her hand (still tightly clasped in mine) back and forth; then looking up at me she said, "Hey, Daddy, you know what? You and I, why we're a team!"

There was so much life in her eyes and so much confidence in her voice. She believed at that moment that she could face the world as long as Daddy was holding her hand! At that same moment another hand slipped into mine. It was God's hand (it had been there all along, but I hadn't noticed). Then His Spirit spoke to me: "My child, you know what? You and I, why, we're a team!" I felt every care and burden lifted. A bounce returned to my step, a tear of rejoicing swelled in my eyes, and life returned to my soul. I realized that God had never left me nor forsaken me. I also realized that with my Father--God- -by my side, there were no problems too big for me to handle.

We need to turn our complaints into praise. Every Christian should have this kind of Ph.D. degree.