“When upon life’s billows, you are tempest-toss’d,
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.”

— A hymn written by Johnson Oatman Jr.

Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote nearly 5,000 hymns, yet none is more widely known than Count Your Blessings, which has been printed in more than 230 hymnals. There is a reason this hymn has endured. Its message has become a lifeline—one that has carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life.

I grew up in a very religious home, and my testimony of my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, is something I have always leaned on. Still, there came a time when I questioned even my own faith. I was struggling with postpartum depression that escalated into severe, overwhelming depression. It was a dark time. I wondered if God could hear my prayers. I wondered if He cared.

One of the most important lessons I learned during that time is that God doesn’t scream or shout. He doesn’t create large commotions to get our attention. God speaks in small and simple ways—and it is our responsibility to learn how to hear Him.

One day, I sat in my closet praying, crying, and asking God, “Are you there? Can you hear me? Do you even care that I am struggling so badly?” I sat there sobbing, desperate for an answer. Then a quiet thought came into my mind: “I’m not the one who isn’t listening.”

I sat in stunned silence, trying to make sense of what I had just felt. Almost immediately, another verse from that same hymn came to mind:

“Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days goes by.”

Whether you are religious or not, finding joy in the small, ordinary moments of life can spark a moment of happiness and cultivate a sense of well-being. Religion often calls these moments blessings, while Deb Dana a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, through her Polyvagal Theory, refers to them as “glimmers.”

So, what are blessings—or glimmers? They can be anything that brings even a flicker of joy: a friendly smile, the smell of a warm summer pine tree, or the look your dog gives you when he wants to cuddle. Dana explains that glimmers happen all the time, but because they are so small, we must slow down, notice, and intentionally look for them.

I have found that seeking out at least three glimmers each day—things that bring joy, hope, happiness, or even just a sense of peace—changes the way my mind and heart respond to life. It reminds me not only that my Heavenly Father loves me and cares deeply for me, but that He has created a kind of sacred treasure hunt, filling my days with unlimited glimmers if I am willing to notice them.