Be a Blessing
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Psalm 105:1-2 (NIV)
With Thanksgiving just behind us and Christmas quickly drawing near, this is the perfect time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives. And it’s a perfect time to share the news of those blessings with others….
A few months ago I was asked to serve as co-chair for the Hospitality Team at the Church of The Highlands Greystone Campus here in Birmingham. I jumped at the opportunity, because it affords me the chance to serve God’s church, because I’m able to welcome people into His “house”, and because it allows me to share His light with others! The experience has proven to be yet another blessing for me and my wife Jackie.
On the fourth Sunday of every month there’s a meeting in which people interested in serving the church in some capacity, are afforded the opportunity to learn more about, and to sign up for, one of the various teams. It’s a great way to get more people involved in the church.
Camille
Last Sunday night I was having a conversation with Camille, one of those recruits. While reviewing her application, Camille told me an amazing story; her story. I won’t try to relate Camille’s story in detail, because I don’t think that I would do it justice. Let me just give you the abbreviated version.
In 2008 Camille walked away from a twenty-eight year career with the same company to take a new position somewhere else. Just eight months later, in February of this year, she was laid off. Not long after that, she was diagnosed with a type of cancer that required surgery. Thankfully, the surgery was completely successful. To the amazement of her doctors, neither chemotherapy nor radiation treatments were necessary. The surgery did, however, call for a lengthy period of recuperation. And Camille was still without a job.
Several months passed. Then one day, out of the blue, Camille received a call from an old acquaintance. In the course of their conversation, her friend informed her that he had formed a new company, and offered her a job on the spot!
Camille’s story in and of itself is amazing, but what really impacted me was the depth of her faith and her love for God that manifested itself while she was talking to me. She told me that she had completely put her life in God’s hands, knowing that He would take care of her.
Tears welling up in her eyes, Camille told me that God had done so much for her, but she didn’t know what to do for Him. “What do I do with this?” was the question that she posed to me.
“Share it!” was my immediate response to Camille’s question. “God has given you an amazing story, Camille. And He gave it to you for a reason. Your testimony can give hope to other cancer victims, and to those who have lost their jobs, and to those who have never known or have forgotten how awesome our God is. Be a light, His light, for all to see. Be a blessing to others.”
Camille and I parted company that night with a promise to sit down over a cup of coffee and share more of our “God stories”!
Driving home.
I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Jackie all about Camille and her story, mainly because it serves as yet another example of how God has this way of making miracles “happen”. Another reason for my excitement was that the next morning’s Seed of Hope post was about miracles! (There are no coincidences when it comes to God!)
As I drove, I kept going back to Psalm 105, the one listed at the beginning of this post. God wants us to speak of His goodness.
I also recalled one of my favorite passages in the Bible:
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
As His followers, as Christians, we are called upon by God to share what He has done for us with others.
Don’t think you have anything worth sharing?
Think again. Do you have a roof over your head? Food to eat? Clothes on your back? Family? Friends? Good health? A job? An automobile? Are you reading this post on your computer?
You may be thinking “Those are just regular things. Everybody has those.” We, guess what? You’re wrong! There are many people who have some, or none of the above, and you don’t have to visit a third-world country to find them. They are here, in our cities and towns…we don’t see them…we don’t want to see them, because if we did, we would hang our heads in shame for feeling that God has somehow “overlooked” us.
Want more proof of God’s blessings in your life? Go visit a local hospital. Better yet, take a walk through a children’s hospital. Or take a look at the obituaries in your local paper. Now multiply what you’ve seen and read by 365 days, and add to that the realization that you’ve only looked in your city or town!
God is good.
God is faithful.
It’s true. God is faithful to those who follow Him, to those who worship Him, to those who seek His face, and to those who follow His commands. For years I lived under the assumption that following the Ten Commandments was a ticket straight to heaven. Well, I’ve learned not to assume anything in life, so I don’t know that following them will guarantee that you’ll get in, but I’ve got to believe that it gives us a key to the door!
I also believe that there’s more to it than that…I believe that God blesses those who strive to be a blessing to others. I believe that God has showered me with many blessings because I follow Him, worship Him, seek His face, and follow His commands…
And because I share the news of what He has done for me, the news of His goodness, the news of how great He is with everyone I meet. I want everyone to seek His face. I want everyone to know Him.
You know…the more I give of myself, the more I receive. The more I try to be a blessing, the more I am blessed. (There are no coincidences when it comes to God!)
Please…
try this for me. Think of one thing that you’re grateful for, one thing that God has blessed you with. If you can’t come up with anything, be grateful for being given another day. Then go out and share that news with someone. Then someone else. Then someone else.
Be a blessing. You will receive blessings. God is faithful.
See you next week.
