Be Blessed and Bless Others
By: Jenny Jaroneski, Social Media Associate
If you’ve ever emailed me, you might have seen my sign-off tag, “Blessings! – Jenny Jaroneski” If you’ve ever gotten a voicemail message from me or left one for, you likely have heard “Have a blessed day!” If you’ve ever received a thank you note from Social Ministry or read one of many messages of thanks to the congregation, it most likely has read “You have been a blessing!” or “These donations have blessed others!”
This past week, Social Ministry assembled packets for members of our community in need. (Blessing – None of us got any paper cuts!) Inside each packet is a [RE]FOCUS Devotion Book, some information about the Free Oil Change Ministry & Partner Churches, a gift card for some gas and a voucher to receive a free oil change at a local quick lube station. On the front of the packet is their name and underneath their name it says… “Be Blessed.”
Blessing is a word that I throw around a lot apparently. Google’s English dictionary, provided by Oxford Languages defines it as “God’s favor and protection.” In all honesty, I’m not sure why I put it there other than the labels looked a bit empty at the bottom. Perhaps it was the nudging from the Holy Spirit that led me to include that phrase. But I am glad that I did because it jumps out at me every time I set aside a packet for an individual in need. I get to tell every person we reach through this ministry to Be Blessed. Have Protection. Have God’s Favor. It’s yours. It’s yours because of Jesus.
But when was the last time we stopped to look at the blessings around us, the small blessings and the big blessings? If we tried really hard, we could make up a list miles long of all the things that are going wrong in our lives but could we not just as easily make up a list even longer of all the things going right? It can be hard to see the blessings that we have grown accustomed to seeing regularly.
To us, clean water is a way of life. To people in Haiti (or Flint), it is a blessing. Health Care is something we have access to, but to some in remote areas it is subpar at best. Mental health, physical health, financial stability, family stability, educational opportunity, freedom of speech, employment, freedom from natural disaster, temperate weather, reliable transportation, internet connections, cell phones, electricity, heat, air conditioning, stocked pharmacies, toilet paper (yep… I went there) and the list goes on. These are just a few blessings that we may not be seeing because they are right in front of us.
So what does it look like to have a blessed day and to be a blessing to others? It means that we get to share our blessings. A blessing of optimism or hope can be shared with someone who is feeling down. A blessing of joy or peace can be shared with someone who is distraught. Many of us can share a blessing of finances for the poor, food for the hungry or fellowship for the lonely. Our blessings can appear in different ways and in forms of money, time or talents. Blessings are not one size fits all. There is an open invitation from God for us to get creative, get involved, share Christ with the world, have God’s protection and favor, not only to be Blessed… but to Bless others.
Deuteronomy 28: 1-6
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”