2020’s Direction? Be a Blessing

This post is a part of the Five Minute Friday link up. We write for just 5 minutes on a one-word prompt and see what happens. Today’s word is “direction.”

Each year for the past 3 years I have asked God to give me a word for the new year, something that can help focus my attention on something I need to improve, or something He just wants me to be intentional about. First it was “obey,” then it was “trust,” last year it was “let go,” and this year, the direction He has given me seems to be the word “blessing.”

What I am garnering in talking to Him about this is that He doesn’t want for me to just focus on all the blessings that He so generously has given me, but rather on being a blessing to others. I see that as sometimes happening in very practical ways.

For instance, I order health and home products from an online company and a couple of friends usually add to my order. This month, I used some reward points to get an item for free. The free item ended up working out best to be the one my friend ordered. So instead of just equaling out the cost and both of us saving, I made the decision to give her the benefit of the free item all her own.

Might not seem like that big of a deal, right? In a sense we’ve both earned the points because we both order, though my portion is usually bigger than hers. But I actually struggled with the decision for a few minutes, until God reminded me of the word He had given me just a few days before. I repeated it to myself, something I figure I’m going to be saying often, over and over: “Be a blessing.”

(Adding just a few minutes past the prescribed 5): The working definition I’m going with for “blessing” is this: To bring people closer to God by providing for a physical, emotional or spiritual need. That’s not a dictionary definition. It’s not one I’ve read anywhere, but it seems to be one that works with what I have learned about blessings. It’s not just the #blessed that people post online about all the things that they have; it has more to do with our relationship with God.

I will be looking for opportunities to be a blessing this year, and I will also be looking to see how God is drawing me closer to Him through those around me.

Happy New Year!

Be a Blessing

Yesterday, in what to me was a very simple gesture, I had the opportunity to be a blessing to two friends by providing them with dinner at their office before they came to lead a Marriage Oneness group David and I attended. They’ve been working extremely hard on a huge event coming up next week, and they weren’t going to be able to go home before coming to lead us. I had a big container of leftover soup; they had a need for a meal. It was a simple blessing, but an encouragement to them.

Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (NIV).

Going out for a meal? Be a blessing to your server by leaving a generous tip and a kind “thank you.”

At the grocery store? Speak kindly to the cashier. Engage them in conversation.

Know of a widow or single mom who needs work done around their house? Offer to help.

Being a blessing doesn’t need to be something huge; sometimes just a kind word is a blessing to someone who doesn’t hear such things very often.

Who can you bless today?

Thankful today for:

166. Jesus’ death on the cross for my sins

167. The encouragement of my students’ moms

168. My husband’s love for our kids