I attended a special worship service a couple weeks ago. Afterward, a new friend of mine shared with me a word from the Lord. It was a reminder of God’s promises: that He is with me and has never forsaken me, that He loves me and has good things in store for me. At the end, she said, “Also, you’re about to receive a blessing.”
This word from God was beautiful and encouraging and everything I needed to hear. But the PS at the end has turned my life upside down.
Counting Blessings
You see, over the years, I’ve tried to understand the various emergencies our family could face, from weather-related events to unexpected financial loss, and then prepare for those as best I could. But I realize now how that mindset has kept me looking for bad events on the horizon. On the other hand, knowing that a blessing is on the way has made me look forward to the future.
What could God have in store for us?
Will our insurance agree to pay the outstanding claims?
Will Gordon pick up new words this week or start engaging more with kids?
Will we receive a boost to our finances?
Will I get a contract on a new book?
Will Robby get the work transfer we’ve been waiting for?
Will my family member receive the healing she’s been waiting for?
Then I started wondering if I had already received my blessing, and I began keeping a mental tally.
We have plenty of food to eat. That’s a blessing.
It’s 97 degrees here, but we have air conditioning. That God!
We got through an afternoon without a tantrum. That’s certainly a blessing.
Yes, we had an unexpected expense, but we were able to afford it.
Our hens started laying eggs.
A good friend called me out of the blue, and we had a nice chat that lifted my spirits.
I found a good book at the used book store.
A friend watched Gordon for the afternoon so Robby and I could have a lunch date.
The list goes on and on. We are very blessed, indeed!
But what if God has a “big blessing” still in store for us? Am I ready for a new book contract? My cluttered desk says no. Are we ready to pick up and move if necessary? I can’t imagine moving our entire house of stuff! I realized I needed to be prepared for bigger blessings, and I got busy! So far, I’ve cleaned out closets, filed important papers, shredded old papers, and filled bags with clothes and books to pass on to the local thrift store. The next item on my agenda is to clean out my office so I can easily shift to a new project. Many blessings bring added responsibility or an increase in time and resources, and I want to be able to get started as soon as opportunity comes my way.
Getting Ready
Over the years, I’ve tried to understand the various emergencies our family could face, from weather-related events to unexpected financial loss, and then prepare for those as best I could. But I realize now how that mindset keeps me looking for bad events on the horizon. On the other hand, knowing that a blessing is on the way makes me look forward to the week ahead and encourages me to get prepared for the good stuff as well as the bad.
I still believe that it’s important to be aware of future risk events and to be prepared (after all, I am a risk consultant). However, I think it’s just as important to remember that God has many beautiful promises for us, not the least of which is this:
“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'” (Jeremiah 29:11 NAS).
I encourage you to keep your eyes on God. Ask for His wisdom and peace. And do what you can to be prepared for the bad stuff and the good stuff—for God has many blessings in store for you.
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