Counting the blessings with Alice

For several months long-term St James member, Alice, has not been able to be present in church on Sunday.

Following her liver transplant she had to keep away from large gatherings of people, but her post-op quarantine period is now over, and Alice, together with a great crowd of family members, came to church today to give thanks to God for her recovery.

It was great to see her so well, happy and smiling, full of faith and thanksgiving to God.

Alice and her three children

Back home in Uganda, acts of thanksgiving, like the one we held today, are a regular feature of church life. Family members come to church, kneel in thanksgiving, make an offering to the Lord, and sing - a favourite choice, and Alice's for today, being 'Count your blessings, count them one by one.'

Given all they have been through, these words, were powerfully appropriate:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

In the story of the ten lepers in the Gospels, ten were healed, but only one came back to give thanks. Thank you Alice, for allowing us to share in your thanksgiving and reminding us how good it is to give thanks to the Lord and, yes, count our blessings.