Lord, Make me a blessing ...

Several years ago a (former) student of mine gave me one of the best gifts I've ever received.  It wasn't a gift card to a restaurant or store ... it wasn't a box of candy or cookies ... it wasn't a monumental, over-the-top "Teacher of the Year" award.  Instead, it was a shadow box with this picture:

I found this today as I was rearranging some 'stuff' around my house.  Then 'it' struck me.  Okay maybe not 'it' ... but rather GOD asked me some pretty tough questions:  

How often have you prayed this short prayer with a servant's heart?  Do you really want Me to make you a blessing or is this just a passing-thing that will soon fade away?  Are you willing to go where I want to lead you to be this blessing? And what if I want you right where you are?  Is this for My glory ... or yours? 

These questions found me wondering: what does it really mean for me to "be a blessing to others"?  Well, one of the things it doesn't mean is self.  In order to "be" a blessing to others, I need to think of someone other than myself --- to place myself lower on the totem-pole.  It means that I may need to take a minute to smile and ask how the cashier's day has been ... or check on how the manager's new grandbaby is doing ... or greet the receptionist with a "good morning" instead of brushing by her in an act of fury for being late.  It may require that I 'go the extra mile' to show someone that I appreciate them -- whether it be family ... friends ... work ... ministry ... or really just about anybody that God puts in my path.  

This Granny is finding herself with some extra time on her hands these days.  And one thing that God is challenging me on is to focus on "being a blessing to others".  I'm learning with each new day just what this really means.  Sometimes I'm a slow learner, but thank God for His new mercies everyday!  I've had some missed-opportunities that I wish I could 'do-over'.  Some I've been given a second chance, but I know others have been lost.  Our former pastor's motto went something like this  

"If you come & go (on your daily life) to get a blessing, you'll lose, but if you come & go (on your daily life) to be a blessing, you can't lose."   What would happen if everybody actually went about life with this attitude?  I will confess that I wish I did more often than I do.  So now ...

My prayer is that God would set me aside so that He can make me a blessing to others 

each and every day.    

And I hope this post has blessed you in some way tonight ...