Providing Unexpected Blessings

I wrote my devotion for The Upper Room, “An Unexpected Blessing,” when I had just started to write. I found and still find writing to be both creative and comforting. It was fulfilling to write this devotional, which centered on my receiving an unexpected blessing from a neighbor who shoveled my driveway after an extensive snowstorm.

I have been challenged by this devotion to pay it forward and provide unexpected blessings for others. This is something we can all pray about and endeavor to do. I further reflected on this and came up with four ways to bless others.

First, we can remember to provide blessings to all. By all I mean that blessings should not be offered only to family and friends. We can offer to pay for the meal of the person in the car behind us in a take-out line or buy someone’s groceries.

Second, we can bless someone unexpectedly for the job they perform. My husband and I were at a mall recently. We saw a mall employee who was quietly doing her job of picking up trash. We passed her by, and then my husband stopped. He turned around, thanked her for what she was doing, and prayed for her. Tears glistened in the worker’s eyes for being recognized and thanked.

Third, we can bless others we see during the day with a warm greeting. We all need to know that we are valued and needed. Many years ago when I was teaching full time, I saw a fifth grade teacher stand outside her classroom each morning and greet each student with a smile and a handshake. This gesture left a lasting impression on me. As a substitute teacher now, I try to greet each student in the class that I am teaching as they enter the classroom.

Fourth, we can provide an anonymous blessing. One of the greatest unexpected blessings my husband and I received happened several years ago.  My husband was getting ready to undergo a major operation. I opened the door several days before his surgery to find an envelope stuck in the doorframe. There was a card and $500 in cash in the envelope. We have never found out who provided this wonderful blessing that I was able to use to buy gas for the daily trips I made to and from the hospital.

Reflecting on my devotion has certainly given me a lot to think about. Our Lord teaches us to be compassionate. Indeed, Jesus said in Luke 6:36, “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” (CEB).  May I, as well as others, provide unexpected blessings to our fellow human beings. Let it be so.