Our Blessings Count
The Hebrew word for “blessings” is berakah. Most commonly it was used in the Bible to describe blessings “benefits, gifts divinely bestowed,” according to Strong’s Concordance. We see this in Proverbs 28:20a,
A faithful man will abound with blessings,
What Is A Blessing?
In thinking about blessings . . . I have come to realize that blessings are quite different than things you are thankful for. I thought they were the same. A blessing acknowledges the fact that what you are thankful for, comes from above –
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
A blessing?
Why I define a blessing as a gift from God. It can be a simple thing, such as a wet kiss from a little 2-year old who is discovering how to show love . . . to an unexpected check in the mail that allows you to pay a bill.
Blessings go as far back as Genesis 1 where God blessed Adam and Eve and then commanded them to be fruitful and multiply, the beginning of our time here on earth.
With a blessing, comes a response . . . a reaction. While I have done my job of populating the earth, I can now acknowledge where my blessings come from – God. And I can not only tell God that I am grateful for His blessings but I can share those blessings with others.
Ephesians 5:17b – 20 states,
be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
If We Must Be Scientific
If you must know, there actually is some scientific proof that thankfulness de-stresses our body. Dr. Doug Walker, a psychologist from Mercy Family Center (in New Orleans) and knowledgeable in helping his patients manage stress, stated that you will “inevitably reduce your stress and find some peace if you count your blessings.” Furthermore,
The very act of verbalizing, listing or journaling what you have to be thankful for reduces stress,” said Dr. Walker, who has helped survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Japan’s tsunami, Joplin’s tornado and others through some of their darkest days. “It stops us in our tracks. There’s almost something magical about listing what you have to be thankful for. It can turn things around very quickly because all of a sudden you are looking at all you have to be grateful for. It’s all about perspective.
I Failed At Writing My 1000 Gifts
I had high hopes of keeping track of my 1000 blessings, my 1000 gifts this year with Ann Voskamp. I had good intentions.
In actuality, I find that it is worse than that. I didn’t even start this list for 2012. Upon searching my blog I find that my last entry was a stroll down memory lane dated May of 2011.
While I can’t say that I necessarily feel glum, blue or “stressed,” I do feel like I have missed out on the blessing from accumulating your blessings, if you will.
It’s Not To Late To Count Your Blessings
There is a page I have been keeping open on my computer screen.
It is a simple page. Most definitely peaceful. And encouraging. If you failed this year at documenting your blessings, I encourage you to start. Join the many others who are taking advantage of Our Blessings Count.
Try and find mine. {grin}
And Next Year
Would anyone want to join me in doing a better job of acknowledging what God has given us?
Let’s consider reading Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss together and writing down our blessings from above (on paper).
Mercy recognizes the stress we put on ourselves and our families over the holidays. They want to remind us that ‘Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed.’ One way we can do this is to pause, list our blessings, and share them with others. Let’s count our blessings together at www.ourblessingscount.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mercy. The opinions and text are all mine.
