Count Them One by One -- A Guest Post by J.D. Wininger

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to J.D. Wininger, one of my favorite bloggers. J.D. has a heart as big as Texas, so it's a good thing he lives there. He loves his ranch, his critters, but most of all, his Savior. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or tea), and let J.D. remind us of something we all tend to forget. And when you're done, leave a kind comment for J.D.

Count Them One by One

Standing at the window, I take a sip from my third cup of coffee. 

Finally. It’s light enough. 

As dawn breaks each morning, before I don my boots, hat, and jacket, I count cow butts. First one pasture, then the next. It’s not a glamorous job, especially when you consider that cattle don’t use toilet paper (good thing these days), but it’s a necessary one. I tell myself it’s inventory control. 

If the count is off in a particular pasture, I need to investigate, especially if an animal is missing in the pasture where I place the expectant mama cows. When birthing is imminent, a mama cow will get away by herself and hide. It’s an instinctual thing, just like hiding their newborn calves for the first week of their lives. 

This morning I count the mamas and babies first, then move to another window to get “eyes on” Mavric the bull and my donkeys. I glance at the neighboring pasture too, just to make sure things look right. 

About the time I get to 40, I realize I’m humming one of my favorite old hymns. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done. 

I suspect most of y’all know what happened next. Yep, the waterworks turned on. 

Standing there, I realized I wasn’t taking inventory, I was counting my blessings. 

Each animal here at the Cross-Dubya is a blessing. Like my family members, God has entrusted each one’s care to me. I don’t take this responsibility lightly. 

Perhaps that’s why I’m up each day before dawn, preparing to take care of all the blessings God has given me. Maybe it’s why I pray as I stand watch over them each morning. 

Philippians 4:8 reminds me, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8, NKJV). 

In these quiet moments, when it’s just me, the cows, and God, it’s easy to count my blessings. 

As the day progresses, emails, phone calls, and problems elbow their way in. I find it more difficult to recognize all the good things God has given me. Satan takes great delight in disrupting our thoughts and taking our minds off of the good and godly things we should make central in our lives. 

With all this pandemic hoo-ha and political posturing going on, he must be having a field day with many of us. 

 All too often, I find that our human lives take precedence over our spiritual lives. Living only in the day and dealing with current challenges can and will take our focus off our future. 

The result? We set aside our joy and hope in Christ. We focus on our problems instead of counting our blessings. We forget we are sojourners, passing through this temporary life on the way to a better reality. 

One way I combat this tendency is to spend a few minutes before I close my eyes at night thanking God for each blessing I’ve received throughout my day. Most are living beings, not material things. 

My wife, friends, and others I’ve interacted with during my day. The land and animals God allows me to care for, and, yes, tangible things like not getting the tractor stuck in the mud hole or not getting knocked to the ground by the bull when I wasn’t paying attention. 

When I do this, I can fall asleep knowing I’ve taken a few minutes to say thank You to the One who is most deserving, the One from whom all blessings flow (James 1:17). 

What changes to your routine can you make to help you count your blessings more than your trials? During this challenging time, I hope each of us will take a few minutes each day to stand in God’s presence. Let’s spend some time sharing with Him our thanks for all He is, all He gives, and all He does. 

J.D. Wininger is an award-winning writer and speaker who teaches compelling lessons in faith and writes heartfelt devotionals and books to glorify God. He has written for national magazines, CBN.com, Lighthouse Bible Studies, and contributed to several books. When not working his Texas ranch, He and his wife Diane share God’s love in surrounding communities. To read more from J.D., visit his website: https://jdwininger.com/





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