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On most Sundays after church, we have our family over for lunch. There is always plenty of Nana’s good cooking to nourish our bodies and an abundance of chatter going on with all those girls under one roof. And while I have to admit that all the noise can be a bit taxing at times, I am thankful that God blessed Gale and I with a good and loving family.

A couple years ago during one of those Sunday afternoon meals, I suddenly realized that I had not heard anything out of Raegan (who was two at the time) for a while; her silence was a definite indicator that it would be a wise idea to see what she was in to. One of the older girls went to the adjoining room to see why she had become so quiet. She was found to be having a sweet time in the recliner—a really sweet time. Her older sister had won a box of chocolate candy at church and the little mischievous two years old located the sweet treats and helped herself to it. So there she sat, as happy as a lark with a ring of chocolate encircling her mouth. Addy was not too happy about it, but Raegan was having the time of her life. A little searching while nobody was looking paid off—at least until she got caught!

When we grow accustomed to hearing bad news from so many angles every day, it is refreshing to experience something good even though it might be a small hidden thing that requires a little searching to find. If we are not careful we will give the bad news so much of our attention that we overlook many of the hidden bright spots of life. It has been said that “If the birds only burst into song once a year, we’d all pay close attention. But because they are singing every morning, we scarcely bother to listen.” How true! When we make it a regular practice to look for the hidden blessings of life, it will amaze us at what we will find. Psalm 34:10 states that “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (New International Version).

I recall being with a group of older people one day when I noticed a lady struggling greatly to get from one side of the room to the other. It was a short distance, yet it took her a considerable amount of time and effort just to ambulate to her destination. In spite of the struggle, she was not wasting her time complaining about her circumstances. Instead, I believe she was grateful to have as much independence as she still had. Such an outlook required her to pay more attention to her abilities and less attention to her disabilities. What a great lesson in life that all of us can learn from!

That dear old struggling lady and so many other people like her bring to mind an old Gospel song that I grew up with in church entitled Count Your Blessings. The first stanza includes these words: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count you many blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

When we trust in the Lord He will allow us to have those times when His hidden goodness will be made real in our lives—often when we least expect it but when we most need it. Raegan did a little searching and she came up with something sweet and good. Try doing a little searching each day of life and see what sweet blessings from God you will find. As the psalm writer said, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”