Seeing the blesssings in our life



From the Net

At the time of writing it is twilight. There is something about the lighting in winter that is cool.

Living by blessings may be easier to see by way of contrast. Looking at 4000 year old story rings true today I think. You may not not be familar with these characters, but you seee them today.

I was reading the contrast between Abraham accepting the blessing of Melchizedek and gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils and refused a gift from the king of Sodom, Gen. 14:18-24. Melchizedek was a brother in the faith to Abraham and was known for his righteousness or what we would call a good man. The king of Sodom was known for his deceit and evil to gain his power and was a man you could not trust. To take a gift from such a man would have strings attached and would involve future plots of evil.

Recognizing the honest fruits of blessings from the dishonest ways of the world and entanglements has far reaching consequences.  In HBO’s Boardwalk Empire I can picture Enoch Thompson’s wads of cash oiling the wheels of corruption. Enoch was a gangster in early 20th century portayed well in the series. You want to trust him, but you can't. To take a payoff meant some type of evil involvement later. This stuff makes up our politics, fighting crime, religion, pay offs with evil people don’t work. But that wad of cash lures us.

Blessing on the other hand free us to enjoy life and connect us with those we love. The blessing of knowing a good man or woman, the blessing of a good meal, the blessing of work that helps our family, others and self, the blessing of being accepted by God (Ephesians 1:6, 7) forms a different bond altogether. Love, kindness, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, self-control, patience weave a contentment that is good for our relationships and health. Galatians 5:22, 23

Blessings we need them and they beat the entanglement with evil. Moving away from those entanglements may be hard; today we may call them toxic relationships but in the long run well worth it. Living by the blessings may be a new way of living and somewhat unexplored but at days end the peace enjoyed is worth it.

Walking with the fat man means the blessing of walking. We were made to move. Walking is free and easy and gives back so much. Walk with our dog, loved one, friend and we add another free blessing. Listening to music, books, nature as we walk all give back a blessing.