A Blessing: “Put It In Your Pocket…”
Hello Friends,
How are you doing today? I was driving through town the other day and I noticed something….A few weeks ago when we had all that snow, there was a house downtown that had a lot of snowmen in the front yard and I believe there was even a small fort (or it could have been where the snowmen lived). Needless to say, I drove by that same house this past week, and because of the warmer weather, those snowmen aren’t there any more. Do you think they took a ride to somewhere colder and to a place with more snow? I hope they are able to come back soon!! I guess Mr. Punxsutawney Phil will let us know if those snowmen will be returning. It certainly was a blessing to see them!
Speaking of “blessing”, do you think that a blessing is a good thing? When someone sneezes and we say “God bless you”, is what we are saying a good thing? When we sing “God bless America,” are we singing something good or bad? have you ever thought about what it means to receive a blessing, to give a blessing, or even to be a blessing? God gives us tons of blessings, but is a blessing a good thing? Well, let’s find out…
A blessing is a good thing. As a matter of fact you can think of a blessing like a gift. Let me show you what it mean. I’m going to ask that you use your imagination. Imagine that I just gave you blank card. There is nothing on it: no words and no pictures and scribbles of any kind. It is a blank card. This is my gift to you. Do you feel blessed?
What do you mean “no”? You don’t feel blessed by the blank card I gave you. But I thought really hard about this gift. I thought it would be something special for you, that it would bring you joy and happiness and excitement. So don’t you feel blessed? I guess I understand. But, you could use this as a bookmark. Or maybe as a place to create a masterpiece, write your name on, compose a story, fill with an assortment of colors. Oh that reminds me, I forget to give you some crayons. Now do you feel blessed? You now have a blank card and crayons! I see some smiles growing, so you must be feeling a little better about the gifts I gave you.
Well, let me tell you something, I bet you are feeling a little better you have just learned a valuable lesson about blessings. A blessing isn’t just any old gift, it is a good gift that is meant to be helpful, useful or encouraging–just like the crayons were. It’s fun to get gifts isn’t it! It’s even better when the gift is something that we can use or appreciate. When we receive that kind of a gift it is a “blessing,” and that blessing helps us feel noticed and appreciated. That blessing is a good thing because it helps us to feel good about ourselves: it brings a smile to our face and joy to our heart. As Perry Como famously sang, “…put it in your pocket, never let it fade away. Save it for a rainy day.” How could you use these gifts now? Who do we give blessings to?
Did you know that God also blesses you? He loves you. That’s a blessing in itself. Can you think of some other ways that God blesses you? He cares for you. He forgives you. He listens to you. He is always there for you. He gives you support and is always available to help you. He gives you power and strength. He gave you Jesus–the best blessing of all. He gave you parents and grandparents that love you very much. He gave you siblings that make you laugh and give you hugs. He even gave you a Sunday School teacher that cherishes you. These are all helpful gifts because they help us become the best versions of ourselves.
Now, do you think that these gifts are meant for us to keep to ourselves? Don’t you think it might be fun to bless others too, when you love them and when you forgive them if they hurt you? Let’s take the gifts that you’ve been given and bless someone else. Let’s draw a Smiley Face on our cards. Give it some hair, two eyes, a nose, two ears, and big smile. Now, let’s think of someone that we can give it too.
I told you a blessing is a good thing! Now, you’ve been blessed to be a blessing. Go give your blessing to someone else. Have a great week! (Maybe, some more snow will be blessing us in the near future!!)
Your Friend, Holy Spirit!
Recommended Posts
Expect the Unexpected: Being Amazed
February 09, 2025
Are You A Good Listener?
January 26, 2025
What Can I Give Him: Give Him Your Heart
January 19, 2025