One of my favorite daily chores is collecting eggs from my chicken coop. For a while, it felt like a small miracle each morning—my young chickens began laying regularly, and I could count on nearly a dozen eggs a day. With a heart full of excitement, I’d go out each morning, knowing there’d be a fresh bounty waiting for me. I enjoyed it so much that I started taking it for granted, never stopping to consider the One who provided this steady supply.
Then came the storms. After each one, the egg count began to drop. Days went by where I’d find only a few eggs or none at all. I found myself questioning why this was happening and pleading with God to restore my hens’ laying. But then a thought hit me—how many times had I thanked Him when the eggs were coming in steadily? The answer was humbling.
A Lesson in Gratitude
That moment turned into a heart check. I went to God in prayer, asking for forgiveness for my ingratitude. I realized that I’d been enjoying His blessings without acknowledging the One who gave them. So, I started a new habit. Each day, whether I collected a dozen eggs or just two, I thanked Him. I chose to be grateful for whatever He provided, even if it wasn’t as much as I had hoped. And slowly, as my heart grew in gratitude, the egg supply began to increase again.
This experience reminded me of Job’s words in the Bible: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). Job knew what it meant to lose what was precious to him, yet he chose to bless God’s name regardless. Later, in Job 42:10, we read that “the LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.” God took Job through a season of loss, but He ultimately blessed him even more than before.
Trusting God Through Seasons of Loss
Sometimes, God allows something to be taken away from our lives because He has something greater in store. Those times of lack and waiting are difficult, but they’re also times when we can learn to lean on Him, to fully trust in His timing, and to remember that He is the source of all blessings. If I had never experienced that shortage of eggs, I might not have realized the depth of my ingratitude. God didn’t just want me to have eggs; He wanted me to have a heart that acknowledged and appreciated His provision.
So, if you find yourself in a season where something has been taken away, know that God may be preparing you for something even greater. He might be using this time to cultivate your gratitude, your patience, or even a deeper reliance on Him. And when the blessing returns, it will be all the sweeter because you’ve learned valuable lessons and to thank Him in every season.
Counting Every Blessing
Now, each time I walk out to the chicken coop, I’m reminded to thank God for what He’s provided. And not just for eggs—for all the ways He blesses and sustains us each day. I may have missed out on a lot of eggs during that time, but I gained something far more valuable: a heart of gratitude that continues to recognize and celebrate God’s daily gifts.
If you’re waiting on God to restore something, remember Job’s story and trust that He knows what’s best for you. He may allow something to be taken for a time, but it’s only because He has something even greater planned.
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