Reflections: It’s Raining Blessings!

Art by Carlos S. from the blog www.biblearts.blogspot.com/

If you believe in God, He will open the windows of heaven

 and pour blessings upon you.

~ Mahalia Jackson

In December 2013, I decided to take a position that would expand my ministry significantly. It was a surprise promotion, one completely not in my line of vision, one I did not think – or even hope – would ever come to me.  Since that time, it seems that little blessings have come to reveal themselves.  There have been opportunities to go on free trips for which I only last year had to purchase out of my own funds (for the same event).  Recommendations for writing and editing contracts and new options to pursue my play aspirations have seemingly opened up!  This blog has even, over the past 7 weeks, become richer in what it offers.  And let me not forget that my car has a new set of hubcaps, which I mentioned in Reflections: The Parable of the Hubcap, showed up on my car one day.

I started to think about how sometimes do not realize that we are standing in the way of our own breakthrough. That there are opportunities waiting for us the moment we decide to just follow out path. The day the offer to pastor a small church was brought to me, I was very hesitant to accept elevation to leadership, am still nervous that one day people would see through my façade. I tend to be far less traditional in my worship and dealings in life, and to be honest, there are those who could absolutely preach rings around me. But blessings, I noticed, would be revealed every time I started to doubt myself.  These little rewards can serve as confirmation to encourage us to continue along our path.  They may be a mystery how it actually occurred, but we have to allow ourselves to appreciate when a blessing has fallen into our laps without our prompting.  

There is a certain passage in the Bible where the people were not exactly being the most obedient, mainly because, at least it seems, there was doubt in their own abilities and in the validity of the promise their ancestors were given.  How often do we change our own courses significantly because we are certain, before trying, it just can possibly work?  God doles out verbal discipline, possibly more hurt the people did not believe that God would make good on the deal as shown in their actions. The adamant request is the following: “’Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test,” says the Lord of hosts; “see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.’” (Malachi 3:10).  It may be hard to walk in a space, to accept that our position leads us in a particular direction, but if we try it, we will see the response in a currency of blessings.

This past Sunday, a day off from my church, which only meets 3 Sundays out of the month, I visited my home church and preached there.  I was feeling a little unsure of how my sermon went that morning, not sure all the pieces were woven together. While in the moment of my doubt, a young man and his friend came up to me.  They asked me if I noticed something different about my car.  Knowing that mischief happens sometimes, I was tentative about the questioning, concerned that I would have to pay yet another sum on my car.  After a little prodding, they even seemed a little shy about it, one on young man told me that his father had put the hubcaps on in secret and that he was never to have told me.  I do not know why the father didn't want me to know or why the boy chose that day to ask me about it - now at least two months since the hubcaps first appeared.   I simply took it as more confirmation.

This week, I encourage us all to be willing to be more obedient to our callings and to where we are supposed to be in life.  To sacrifice our own doubts and fears, to walk boldly in our futures; after all, when doubts occur, blessings will be there to confirm the path.