I'll make a list of God's gracious dealings,
   all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God…. Isaiah 63:7 (MSG)

As a morning person, I'm usually reading each day's chapter as my brain is still transitioning between dream and reality. There is a creative connection between our dreams and our waking life. Often, the first minutes of our morning when our brain's subconscious has, for hours, been engaged in thoughts unfiltered by our conscious can lead to some interesting thoughts (but that's a post for another day).

So it was that I read the verse above and my brain immediately referenced Elizabeth Barret Browning's famous sonnet…

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…"

However, in my yet sleep fogged mind, the famous opening line was scrambled into…

"How does God love me? Let me count the ways…"

It's not quite what Browning was writing about, but it gave me a laugh and a good exercise for my day. How many ways can I count off God's love for me? Here's the top ten that come to mind this morning….

The beautiful sunrise over the back of the bay.
Hot coffee.
The cool breeze off the lake.
My wife, her love so life-giving, lying warm and at peace in bed.
My children…I see their smiles, I feel their hugs, I know their love even across the miles.
Answered prayers.
Faithful presence.
Kind forgiveness.
Sacrificial love.
Amazing grace.

How does God love you? What's on your list this morning?

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and nlscotland