This idea of what is a blessing was being talked about in my home church and people from my mother’s church during the Advent season. It is because they were all doing an Advent Study from Adam Hamliton book ‘The Journey’. I have not read the book nor watched the series but have just caught two discussions on ‘blessings’. Both sets of people talked about that they had never thought about blessings as was discussed in the book. Most people think of blessings as the ‘things’ we have in our life. These aren’t always just material things but also things like good health, a happy family, etc. I was sort of surprised by this. Because truly I have felt blessed in my life, but not with wealth. I feel it inside in my core in my spirit, just a feeling of being loved and being safe. This came to life this morning in Haiti. I felt refreshed and energized at 6:00 in the morning as I walked to watch the sunrise at the top of the hill near my house where you can see God in all directions.  I thought there and thought about blessings. I have been blessed because I have been shown the grace and love of God throughout my lifetime by many different people and experiences. I think because of that I see the beauty in the world, in the little things. I look at the colors and am awed. As I walked back to my house thinking about blessings, I am blessed too by my material possessions in Haiti, and yet by U.S. standards this would not be so. I have a little 2 room house that doesn’t leak, I have food minimum of twice a day (mostly 3 times a day), and someone else goes and gets water so that I can ‘take a shower’. I don’t have electricity, running water, a TV, or a refrigerator; and yet I am indeed blessed with material things too.

When talking about material possessions and blessing, someone asked me ‘well what about the ‘things’ in your life?’. In the states I have said that I was blessed to have 2 vehicles, one being a truck, so I always felt a responsibility for sharing that ‘blessing’ of a truck or even the car with others. But I don’t know that I actually consider it a ‘blessing’, it seems a little superficial for how much deeper a ‘blessing’ is in our life. A pastor friend then asked me – ‘well what about you working in Haiti. If someone is starving and in need of food and they do a food distribution isn’t that a blessing?’ I thought about it and yes I guess that is – but then I would describe a blessing as taking care of a basic need we have for life. In that case it would also be someone else that was being a blessing.

The other ‘Things’ we have in our lives are not ‘blessing’ but just extra perks. Blessings are something deep and rich, that touch your soul by God. I don’t really consider my TV in this category. Now know, because of blessings – if you are truly blessed, you need to be a blessing to others. And I believe if you really feel it – you can’t help but not to bless other people with your life. I learned this depth of giving and being a blessing to others in the world more richly from my church family at the UMC in Vermillion. Although we are not a very large church it is working and living out blessings in the neighborhood and the world. This is what Jesus was teaching us to be in the world. First we are shown this Amazing Love and then we have to share it. This is such a cliché phrase, but I think but it is true when you feel it in your spirit - “Blessed to be a blessing.”