Who Will Choose to be a Blessing?

We all have a choice to make.  We can choose to be a blessing to others, or not.  How many times do we miss opportunities to bless those around us?  Maybe it's just a kind word. . . or a smile. . . or doing something to help out someone in need. . . or what about those random acts of kindness that are an unexpected surprise?   This song encourages us to be a blessing to God and those around us.  (the snowy background is an extra bonus ~ blessing ~ as you listen to the words)

We have so many opportunities to bless someone else, but they all take time.  Will we choose to make the time necessary to bless those around us?  I'll be the first to admit, it's a lot easier to concentrate on myself and my own little family.  Blessing others takes effort and often a sacrifice.  But blessing others is a actually a blessing we give ourselves, as well.  It feels good to be a blessing to others because it honors God.

Today, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing a meal for a family from our church, that was in a 3-vehicle car accident last week, just as they returned home from a being gone over Christmas.  The mom ended up with a fractured neck, and the kids each had a concussion.  But they could clearly see God's protection over them, even in the midst of a bad situation.  It was so encouraging, to hear their testimony (blessing #178), which will touch many lives as they continue to share their story with others.  (By the way, they covet your prayers, as they continue to recover and jump through hoops with the insurance companies.)

And it was a blessing for me, to make a meal for them . . .  which included these yummy rolls.  (#179)  They are amazing!  Okay, okay. . . I'll admit that "amazing" is probably one of my most over-used words.  But they really are amazing rolls.  Melt-in-your-mouth delicious!  

I also made chicken and biscuits for our family to eat, after the girls & I returned from delivering the meal to our friends.  Two meals for two families.  That adds up to a lot of time in the kitchen.  All to bless those around me.  And I didn't even grumble about all the cleanup involved afterwards.  There's something about blessing others that creates joy in my heart, and it's really hard to grumble when that happens.

Jillian decided to be a blessing to Jenica tonight also.  (#180) 

After she finished getting ready for bed, she decided to get everything in the bathroom ready for Jenica to brush her teeth.  She had her toothbrush, toothpaste, and her special brush for her braces laid out. She even squirted up the flouride rinse so Jenica didn't have to do it herself.  Jillian "gets" it (#181).  She understands what being a blessing is all about.  And when we talked about our "sweet" and "sours" at bedtime tonight, Jillian's sweet was "getting Jen's stuff ready for her so she didn't have to."

Matthew 5:16 ~

In the same way, let your light shine before others,

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.