NO. 1032 - SOME OF LIFE'S UNCLAIMED BLESSINGS!
No. 1032
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
SOME OF LIFE’S UNCLAIMED BLESSINGS!
When it comes to being blessed or having great blessings in our lives, there are a couple of verses in the Bible that pretty well say it all. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
If you will take a few moments and reread these verses, I believe you will agree that they not only give solid counsel for living a better and happier life, but also some things we should avoid to keep from inflicting self-punishment on ourselves. It is an age-old story. Most problems we experience through our lifetime are brought about by the person who looks back at us from the mirror.
Now this question please: Who among us does not want to be blessed? According to the dictionary, the word “blessing” or “blessed” means, “That which makes happy or prosperous.” And it also means, “The bestowal of divine favor.” As a Christian, the latter definition is very special to me because it means that God is showering his blessings on the individual who seeks His favor and is grateful to have them.
Whether you agree or not, I am here to tell you that most of us miss far too many blessings because we fail to ask or, when we do ask, we ask with wrong motives. I am sure you have heard the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Actually, these words are more than just a saying, they are the words of Jesus, as recorded in the book of Acts 20, verse 35, in the event you would like to look them up.
What motivated me to share these words with you is something I heard a while back. There is an older lady in our church who openly says, “I am an old maid.” When another lady friend heard this she responded, “She is not an old maid, she is just an unclaimed blessing.” This led me to realize there are countless unclaimed blessings around us every day, but in most cases, we fail to claim them.
I am going to share some of these with you that came as a result of doing some brainstorming. I hope you will do some thinking and come up with others. Why not share them with me? My address is Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.
Here are just a few unclaimed blessings: CHILDREN who spend all or most of their lives growing up in an orphanage. To be sure, some become our nation’s greatest success stories, for example the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s. While many overcome, it is still much better to grow up in a two-parent home where love, structure and security abound. To be sure, we need more people like this who will adopt them.
For many people, especially those who are single: PETS in animal shelters that are desperate to be adopted. I am sure you know what happens to many of them when no one is willing to adopt them. As they say, who is still going to be happy to see you after being locked in the trunk of your car for a while, your wife or your dog?
Another unclaimed blessing that many of us miss: SMILES that we do not share with others. I know this for sure, some of my greatest blessings, and new friendships, have come when I have just looked at people and gave them a happy and cheery smile. It has been said that a smile is the light in your window that tells others you are home.
And here is one of the best: UNSPOKEN DEEDS OF KINDNESS. When you take the time to go out of your way to do something nice for someone else, especially the undeserving, it just says you are a citizen of the world.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)
