Hi, this is Joni, and maybe you know this beautiful old hymn…
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
And I love that song because it reminds me that every blessing comes from the hand of our wonderful Father in heaven. And I have learned over the years to look for God's blessing every single day. Is that something you do? I tell you, if you woke up in the morning purposing to look for God's hand of blessing throughout the circumstances of the day, you would be a happier person.
For instance, not long ago when I was in an airport gift shop, I was blessed big-time, and I almost, I almost could have missed it! When I wheeled up to the cashier’s counter to pay for my things, I asked the clerk to reach into my handbag behind my wheelchair, open up my wallet, and take out the correct bills and change. “Sure,” the clerk replied. And so, while standing next to me and holding my wallet, she began to count out the bills and the coins, laying everything on the counter one by one. But suddenly a little girl out of nowhere darted up and –clink! – dropped a penny into my change purse. Then she ran back and hid behind her daddy’s knees. The clerk and I looked at each other. “What was all that about?”
Then I put two and two together. This little girl must have been watching me the whole time, and she must've noticed the clerk rummaging through my wallet. She must have thought I was poor and did not have any money. Well, my thought was, should I go over and tell that little girl the truth? Should I tell her, “No honey, I don’t need your pennies. I’m ok, I’m independent. I’m a self-sufficient person.”
No, I decided that was not the good thing to do. Instead, I wheeled over to the child, and I smiled and said, “Honey, I want to thank you very much for helping me. You have the wonderful quality of Christ-like compassion, and if you don’t know what that means, ask your daddy.” Her father gave me a wink. As I left the store, I realized it wasn’t only the right response, what I said to her. It was the only response. Proverbs 18 puts it this way; it says: "A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great."
God must have been looking down and smiling that day. I mean, just look at those blessings you could count in that one little encounter: A child’s generous spirit was reinforced, her compassion was encouraged, a father was made proud, a proud person like me was made humble, and God received the glory. “Come thou fount of every blessing.” A little penny opened the way for a young girl to be ushered into the presence of God, the giver of all gifts and the source of every blessing.
Today I want you to join me in a little exercise. Look for God's blessings, would you, in the everyday circumstances of this morning, this afternoon, and evening? And then when you discover those blessings, pass them on. Pass them on! Reinforce that gift of compassion and that generosity in the life of someone who’s been kind to you – no matter how small that gesture of kindness. Let that friend know that they are a blessed instrument of God in your life. What's more, encourage them to then pass on the blessing to someone else. And as you do, I promise, you’ll be happy.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends