"Small" Blessings

They come to us in a variety of ways.  Recently, mine came to me in the form of a bird and a flower.  I was sitting on my patio with my wife and she told me to look at a nearby sunflower.  There, perched on it, was a goldfinch.  He waited long enough for me to snap this photo.

It was a serendipitous moment.  No big deal, really.  And, I don't want to read more into it than I should.  Did God send that bird at that time for the pleasure of my wife and me?  I'm not sure I could articulate it that way.  But, I can say with absolute confidence that it was a blessing of God to my wife and me to see that little bird sitting on that flower.  I would call it common grace and it comes to all men in a variety of ways and it comes to us from the Creator. 

Sometimes it is a tasty breakfast, an unexpected greeting from a friend, a thoughtful gift - all sorts of gifts of grace that come as blessings to us.  And, I want to acknowledge them.  I can dismiss them, ignore them, think of them as nothing.  Or, I can cultivate gratitude for them.