Psalm 40:5 “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.”

This single verse embedded in Psalm 40 speaks to me on so many levels. The psalm itself is about the Magnificence of God. It speaks not only of His ability to hear our cries and difficulties, lifting us out of them and placing us within a fortress of faith in the face of danger, misfortune or loss. It also speaks of the many wonders that He has created across time and space; the unbearable suffering He has endured out of His love for us; and finally, the spark of divine humanity that He placed in each of our hearts: that ember which catches flame through God’s compassion and ours, resting perfectly inside each of our hearts—if only we are willing to listen.

Now back to the verse I’ve chosen. The reason this one is so special to me is that it conjures an image of God that perfectly coincides with my vision of who He is: a magnificent artist and inventor, a brilliant designer…a wondrous being of infinite power and unceasing love. As human beings limited by our experiences, we can’t even begin to imagine the extraordinary wonders that God wishes for each and every one of us. His love for us is fathomless. His compassion is never-ending. His gifts to us…are boundless.

“God…Loves…Me.” I am so humbled by the power of that simple sentence that sometimes I’m brought to tears. I invite you to spend today, just one day, practicing unyielding, relentless, radical gratitude for every experience that you encounter today. It’s so easy to get swept up in the day-to-day stresses of this world: the errands, the things that we think aren’t working out the way we want them to, the insignificant worries of the mundane—especially this time of year. There is so much beauty that surrounds us from moment to moment. Just for today, try being present in every moment: enjoying it, reveling in it, and most important of all -- being grateful for it.

Grace Vogelzang