By Andrea Hoisl
Blessings are words that express gratitude for something or show God’s favor. What does the word “bless” actually mean? In Hebrew, the root means “to increase” or “bring down Divine abundance.” So if I bless you, I am asking God to increase your well-being, happiness, or circumstances – in essence, to give you more of Himself.
In a world where there is so much going on, we often forget to take time to recognize and acknowledge the many blessings in our lives. Those can include the times when God has given us more of Himself through opportunities, people and our faith, or when we were given more than we deserve or ever thought possible.
We rarely take the time to think about the innumerable blessings we have been freely given by God; blessings we did nothing to earn. If we all take a few moments everyday as we go through our usual routines to acknowledge all that we have and do that is good, we would all be much happier people.
As we enter fall and a new school year, we might begin to be more mindful of God in our everyday lives. Perhaps we can take time in our day to recognize how He has bestowed His blessed abundance on us and our families and friends. As your children go off to school, after you take those first day of school pictures, why not stop and say a thank you blessing on your children?
The beginning of each workday is a good time to reflect on the great love God has for us through the gifts He has freely shared with us. Through a blessing of thanksgiving, tell God how you will use the abilities He gave you in your daily work life. Maybe you can even take that a step further and research ways you can help others using your gifts and talents.
Another way to remember your blessings is to say prayers before fun activities or sports. Before I begin something fun, I say Psalm 16:2 “All good things come from God” AMEN! Once we start to recognize our blessings, we become more connected to the Father from whom they have come.
Finally, don’t forget the blessing of food. It does not matter if you eat alone, with your spouse, or with a family of 10 – every meal is a blessing. We might even want to donate food or work at a soup kitchen once we realize how blessed we truly are.
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