I saw a banner at church this weekend that read, “I will bless you so that you will be a blessing.”
At first I nodded in agreement with this nice sentiment. I liked the first part a lot. I will bless you. Who doesn’t need a blessing or two or ten? I liked the idea of God blessing me. I hate to admit this, but I felt a bit entitled. I felt it is time to have a blessing or two or ten after sweltering for years in a drought of grief. I’m happy to receive the blessing. I will even volunteer. Can I raise my hand high enough? You can bless me! You can bless me!
Then I took a second glance at the banner. I re-read the second part. So that you will be a blessing.
Me?
Yes, you.
I will be a blessing?
You will be a blessing.
I have to do stuff?
Yes, you have to do stuff.
To bless others?
Yes.
Even if I don’t feel like it?
Yes.
Even if I am tired?
Yes.
Even if I would rather receive than give?
Yes. You are catching on.
I tend to talk to myself when I have something I need to figure out. Maybe this is God’s way of talking to me. All I know is that the last thing I asked myself last night was, “Where can I be a blessing? How can I be a blessing? To whom can I be a blessing?”
It’s easy to want blessings. It’s a challenge to be a blessing. The banner I read made it sound like you can’t have one without the other. Maybe this is why it hung at the front of the church, so that I could read it several times and understand.
