Years ago, when I was active in our Protestant church, the minister would always start the service by saying, “We are blessed to be a blessing.” In Matthew 5, called The Beatitudes, Christ shows us the many ways God extends us His favor:
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
“Have a Blessed Day”
Blessings arrive daily. They can begin as a smile or a kind word. And we'll never know the effect of our blessing upon another. As the pastor said, “We are blessed to be a blessing,” and by passing on this happiness, we make the world a better place.
David Kremer, Jr. of Nashville, TN, knows the immense power of blessing others during the day. He is a father of three children, ages 17, 9, and 7, and Sarah Kremer's husband. He works at Centennial Hospital in Nashville at “That Good Coffee Place.” Dave serves up anything from drip coffees to custom-created lattes. And he does it with a special promise. To every customer, he attempts to say, “Have a blessed day.” David says he verbalizes this because, “I have been so blessed, and you never know what someone is dealing with in their life. If I can get one person to see God’s glory, then I will have succeeded.”
In itself, you see, David’s life is a miracle because he is a survivor of brain cancer. “I have shared a short version of my testimony with probably a few dozen customers, and all have agreed and have given me confirmation that I am a miracle and that God is in control.” He adds, “God’s great commission tells us to go and evangelize and spread His word to all of the earth.” Dave says, “I am attempting to do this one customer at a time.” And as Dave also added, his pastor told him that it takes nine contacts with a non-believer to open their eyes. Dave’s daily blessing is adding to that number.
My Blessing Zapper
Matthew Kelly, Catholic author, speaker, and founder of http://DynamicCatholic.com, distributes a small plasticized card labeled “The Prayer Process.” In it, he encourages the faithful to lift seven different needs in prayer: the sixth one to “ask God to bless and guide others.” This blessing laid upon other people or situations is what I call My Blessing Zapper.
Suppose I were carrying a large squirt gun (the type kids use in the summer) and could aim it at anyone with a ZAPP>>>>> of blessing and guidance. I can, and do daily only you can’t see My Blessing Zapper because it is a silent prayer. When I see anyone pass whom I think could use some joy, I ask God to “bless, guide, prosper, protect, keep them in good health, and bring them home to heaven through The Catholic Church.” Blessing others puts me in a better place, for instead of judging, I am a blessing. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will bless and guide that person; because God says so in His Word:
Genesis 12:2 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Finally, I have another reason for extending a blessing because I know how it feels not to be blessed. When my father was dying from cancer thirty years ago, he found my request for his blessing annoying. It wasn't his fault. He was ill and dying, and I probably was a pest. But I learned that you could never pass on enough blessings in this life, for you never know when that one person might need grace. So from that time on, I decided to pass on blessings to as many people as possible.
Make Your Own Zapper
Need a good place to start? Well, in this busy Advent Season, start with an attitude “of wishing to bless.” Ask God to bless those who pass your way with your OWN Blessing Zapper. Give them that Zapp of grace and guidance through your simple, silent prayer, and watch how blessed you become. Or try saying David Kremer’s verbal, “Have a blessed day.” After all, we are blessed to be a blessing, and what greater gift beyond the knowledge of Our Lord Jesus could we bestow?
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Martha Wild King, M. Ed., Author
The Frugal Catholic: Learn to live on less to give and save more.