Blessings

So in this time of year when we are giving and receiving gifts from each other, it made me think about blessings and gifts that we receive from God. I want to address something I have noticed in myself and others around me that goes a little deeper than the usual message to Christians about "counting your blessings."

Sure, we can always use the reminder to remember that God gives us everything we have and that we have nothing by our own doing completely. Everything that we have, every gift, every possession, every cent in our bank accounts or secret drawers, EVERY thing, is from God. That is something we do all need to be reminded of often, especially this Christmas and Advent season. However, I want to tackle something else entirely.

I admit, I need the same reminder I just mentioned, but not that often. The reminder I need daily it seems goes a bit deeper and I think that it will ring true in your hearts as well. It is not that we don't believe God will bless us, but sometimes we don't see them always coming to fruition. We think, "why am I not finding a job? I am looking so hard and praying about it, why won't it work out?" Or, "I am praying for my relationship with so-and-so, yet things are still tense and not getting any easier." Or maybe something like "why is my vacation time still so stressful? I have been praying for it, yet I am still burdened."

Before I go any further, I want to point out that in every scenario, I included that the person was praying about the thing that was troubling them. This is essential. If we aren't asking God for something, he still will provide for us, but its a relationship, he WANTS us to ask and look for counsel in him. Anyways, back to the blessings...

We tend to think we know the areas in which God will bless our lives. We think, well, the biggest deal in my life right now is unemployment/relationships/stress and so God will obviously take care of that right away or at least make that his priority as well. This is not always the case though. I know, it seems crazy that we might not know exactly what we need and exactly when we need it, but we don't. God does though and we need to remember that as we keep our eyes open for the blessings he IS providing.

There is a book titled Walking With God, by John Eldredge and he talks about this very issue. He talks about his struggle with not receiving the blessings he expects from God, that he misses out on the ones God is still giving us. Eldredge is a man who lives in Colorado and is a HUGE outdoors fan. He has a really big passion for hawks and just really loves collecting their feathers and watching them in person out in nature. He has a cabin up in the mountains he frequently goes to. He tells a story about one time he was up at this cabin and how God showed him to see and appreciate the gifts God does give. He went out one afternoon to look for elk antlers from where the elk had shed them. He was very excited to find them and spent a whole afternoon scouring the mountain sides for some. He tells how he was continually in prayer for God to guide him and help him to find some. He said he kept feeling like he should go certain directions, but never came across the antlers feeling that they were JUST over the next hill. Never found them though. He was about to give up when suddenly he came across a beautiful red-tailed hawk. He got to watch it for 10-20 minutes, seeing it spread its wings a few times to keep its balance on the branch during the gusts of wind. Finally it spread its wings one last time and flew away. He said it was the biggest hawk he had ever seen and it was the closest he had ever been to one. He recognized this event as a huge blessing from God allowing him to see one of his favorite things in nature and to enjoy its beauty and Gods beauty, power, and majesty in it. He never found the antlers he set out to find, but he was given something much more valuable to him that he did not even expect to find when he woke up that morning.

I wonder how often we all have this happen to us, but we are too focused on the blessing we have not received that we don't notice the awesome gift God has set aside for us that day. I am going to make it my goal, and I encourage you to do the same, to be more active in allowing God to give you the gifts he wants, rather than have your list of blessings you demand of him. Yes, still ask him for things. Everyday. However, still be open to the fact that maybe God has better things for you than what is on your Christmas list.

I encourage you to pray and ask God what he has in store for you that day and to bless you in ways that HE sees fit, and to allow you to be open to seeing and appreciating those blessings. I also ask you to pray for me to be able to do the same as I will be praying for you all.

Thank you for reading, you all are truly a blessing to me for caring enough about what I say to read and encourage me to keep up writing and studying and sharing with you all my thoughts and feelings on the things I see and how I see them.