RSS

Friday, November 12, 2010

Blessed or a Blessing



Recently, I was reading about Joseph. You know about Joseph—spoilt, indulged, rich kid—favourite son of Jacob and Rachel. Sold by his jealous brothers to some Midianite traders on their way to Egypt, Joseph eventually rose from slave to ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.

Joseph went through some testing times, but never lost faith in God. Joseph’s parents may have spoilt him, and his brothers may have despised him, but God favoured him.

How do we feel when God favours our friends? When He showers them with gifts, or puts them in positions of honour? Do we rejoice with them and join in their excitement, or do we react like Joseph’s brothers with bitterness and jealousy because God doesn’t do the same for us?

My best friend of thirty-plus years is a great example of just how much God blesses and favours His children in very tangible ways. When Jan’s husband died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of fifty-one, she lost everything—the family business, their car, and their home. Yet around this same time, a ‘granny flat’ at the rear of a local Christian organization became vacant and my friend had a roof over her head.

Not long after that, she came into some money and was able to buy a new car.
About four years ago, my youngest daughter and her husband were looking for someone to rent a property they’d bought in the local area and guess who, at the same time, was about to have to move from the ‘granny flat’ because the Christian organization was going to be sold and would once again be homeless—yes, my friend.

As a result, Jan went from living in a converted garage with a tin roof—stifling hot in summer and freezing cold in winter—to a lovely three-bedroom house with a greenhouse, a rose garden and plenty of room for a vegetable garden. My friend was now worried how she would furnish her new home—the few pieces of furniture she had wouldn’t go very far, but the Father never does anything by half and she soon had more furniture than she knew what to do with.

A couple of years ago I won a new flat-screen TV at my work’s Christmas party. I had no use for a second TV, but guess who’s TV had just died? There are so many other instances where the Lord has showered blessings upon my friend—sometimes small, and sometimes…well, sometimes huge. Like last year when my youngest daughter and her husband were going to England with their three children to visit my son-in-law’s relatives. They paid for my friend’s ticket so she could go with them and visit her brother who had not long had major heart surgery.

Am I jealous of her? No, of course not, but I must admit, I sometimes ask God why He seems to bless her so regularly. I can almost hear Him chuckle as He says, “Well, you gave her the TV, it was your children who paid for her trip to England, and it was you who gave her extra money to take with her.”

I sigh and try to argue (albeit halfheartedly) that we didn’t really have much choice in the matter because it was He who had laid it on our hearts to do those things.

God blesses us every day and sometimes we’re too busy to notice. My friend notices though, and loves telling people just how much God blesses her. Some people will just shrug and put it down to coincidence—sadly, even Christians. We can bless others too, with our prayers, with our words and with our actions.

Blessed or a blessing? I think we’re definitely both.