Name Them One by One
By Lamar Troyer
As I write this blog, I do so while contemplating the season we just came through — the season of Thanksgiving. This year, maybe more so than most, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the life that I have been given. Sometimes in a world filled with turmoil, uncertainty, division, and hatred it is easy to lose sight of how extremely blessed we are.
Recently, I have been reminded of a hymn my mom would often sing or hum while completing her daily chores of taking care of our family. The first verse and chorus go like this:
“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.”
As we transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I believe it is imperative for each of us to take a deep breath and remember all that the Lord has done.
For Janet and I, there is a deep sense of gratitude first for the cross, the blood, the empty grave, and what Jesus’ incredible sacrifice means for us today. We are also deeply grateful for both our biological and church families. We also are especially grateful for an opportunity we had in November to travel together and minister to part of the Body of Christ in Antofagasta, Chile. It was a dream come true to travel together and allow Jesus to use us to minister and bless the church in Chile . Our time there was spent ministering at a pastor’s retreat, preaching in multiple churches, and we even made our first appearance on TV! While there, I felt the Lord give me a word for the church of Chile, and I feel compelled to challenge everyone who is reading this blog with the same word.
When I was twelve years old, my mom, dad and I loaded our suitcases into a 1987 Chevy Celebrity and headed on an adventure to visit family in Oregon. The trip was memorable for many reasons, but one moment on the trip taught me a spiritual lesson I will never forget. One afternoon, a few of my cousins and I made the trek to a cave up in the mountains. As we entered the mouth of the cave, I suddenly became aware that something was missing. The missing element is something that’s absent in many parts of the world — the element of light. I remember the feelings of fear and uneasiness as we wound our way through a tunnel into a large “room” in the back of the cave. Suddenly my cousins turned off their flashlights, and I will never forget the feeling of being engulfed in total darkness. For the first time in my life, I understood what a lack of light could feel like. In the darkness, I felt an extreme fear and hopelessness. After my cousins turned on their flashlights, and we made our way out of the tunnel, it dawned on me that I had just experienced a deep spiritual truth.
The words of Jesus from Matthew 5:14-16 suddenly took on a very real and sobering meaning:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
In a way that I will never forget, I was cognizant of the mandate we have as Christians to be the light in this world. My challenge to the church in Chile and to each one of us is to let our light shine bright! There are many places all over the world, including places in our own backyards, that are missing light. Places where darkness has been allowed to reign and rule for far too long. People are living in fear and hopelessness, still living in the darkness of depression, hate, unforgiveness, addiction, and oppression. Jesus died for these people and loves them so much. As part of the Bride of Christ it is our mandate to bring light into the darkest of situations!
Will you join me in asking Jesus to place people and situations in our path that need the love and light of Jesus? Will you join me in saying yes to the greatest privilege in the universe —being Jesus’ hands and feet in this world?
My prayer for 2025 is that we allow Jesus to use us to bring hope to the hopeless, set captives free, and bring the loving light of Jesus to the hurting so they too can sing as my mother did —counting their many blessings, naming them one by one, and seeing what God has done.
