You Can Be a Blessing
Calvin Coolidge once said, “No person was ever honored for what he received, but for what he gave.”
Yes, you can. Yes, we can be a blessing to people at any season of life, by showing some kindness. Life as we know it is full of challenges. In this life, we all have so many challenges we face and that we struggle to overcome. Life to me feels like a learning center, equipped with all kinds of tools or resources. Let us, despite how uncertain and unpleasant things are, let us do our best with the best time we have, which is now.
A Good Example of a 15-Year-Old Girl
Let us be like the 15-year-old girl who told her mother when the mother asked her to be of help to someone in need. When she did, she found someone in need right next door. Her neighbor, named Mrs. Mills, this woman was caring for her elderly bedridden mother at home. She was a widow with a small fixed income.
Because of Mrs. Mills’s financial constraints, Mrs. Mills could not afford to hire a caregiver who can relieve her. She can only rely on friends to stay with her mother when she went on errands. Mrs. Mills never did what she wants to do. When the 15-year-old girl asked her mother,” do you think I can learn how to help with a bedpan and things like that. “That would give Mrs. Mills a little time for herself.”
The 15-year-old girl took the volunteer job, and she was so happy, and Mrs. Mills was of course so relieved and happy because of the 15-year-old girl’s kindness. I share this story to buttress the point that there is a need everywhere, We just have to find it. And needs come in all varieties. Big and small, emergency and non-emergency, far and near needs. http://www.oprah.com/inspiration/how-to-show-kindness-to-others. Therefore, be a blessing by showing kindness.
This Season, be sensitive, be willing, and prepare to meet some needs. Another tip that just flashed in my mind is to give out your check out the position at grocery stores for a customer with fewer items to pay for. Sometimes, the Check Outs can be too long; if you are in a line with your cat filled with groceries, and you see an elderly person or a young person holding a few items in his or her hands, call the person’s attention and offer your position online. People always appreciate it.
Sometimes, it could be a person in a hurry to meet up for work. People appreciate kindness and not mean spirited or selfishness.
Life is a training center, and the training continues for a lifetime. But because of the challenges abound, many of us just focus on our own problems only by so doing we neglect to be a blessing to others. While some people want to hope and wait till when things will get better, when they have fewer problems, or have more money. Speaking from experience, giving or being a blessing to others does not require a fat bank account all it requires is a large heart to accommodate others’ needs. Have The Heart Of Compassion.
But assuming that somehow, sometimes, we get some break, and we receive what we want, then what next? The next thing is to keep being a blessing. In being a blessing, we realize that there’s another step to take, another need to meet, another person to lift. This is the time not to miss the opportunity to help others. One thing about giving is that everyone enjoys receiving a gift and enjoys being around kind people. Choose to be a giver. I will rather choose to be a blessing and showing some kindness than being on the receiving end.
Be Willing to Be a Blessing Others
When we are willing and ready to help others in their needs, we will find out there are many ways to be a blessing to other people. In this life, if we want to enjoy our fortune and feel satisfied, we must share our blessings, be it material blessings, intellectual blessings, or spiritual blessings. Two things I know I have done is to give thanks for being blessed and for the privilege of having something or someone whom I can be a blessing to. It is something I do willingly. You can decide today to be a blessing by showing some kindness to your needy relations, friends, or faith community.
Different Ways to Be a Blessing
Already we are in that time of the year that brings special smiles to people’s faces, no matter the part of the world. Christmas for Christians signifies giving. It signifies sacrifice, love, goodwill, and joy. Then follow the end-of-year celebrations, the ultimate New Year jubilations. No matter how terrible the year has been, this is the best season of the year to be a blessing by showing kindness and sharing gifts.
This is just a season of joy starting from November for those of us living in the States. So, let me provide us some tips on different ways you can give and attract more blessings during this period. One thing I know about giving is that everyone likes gifts I think I have said that earlier. Even President Trump likes the gift of praise and wonderful compliments. Be a blessing to your boss, you can bless co-workers, business partners, your friend, spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, in-laws, ministers because giving signifies love, peace, unity, goodwill. Be a blessing by sharing these fruits.
10 Things You Can Do to Make A Difference
- Determine to make this Season a joyful one for you and your family and friends.
- Be positive, be encouraging, be cooperative, and avoid blames, anger, and gossips.
- Be helpful around the house when need be, to relieve the stress on your spouse, or parents.
- Give someone a gift card to a popular store.
- Send a thank you E-cards to your kid’s teachers, to Emergency workers.
- Send a healthy fruit basket to a neighbor, or anyone you consider that will appreciate it.
- Send an encouraging text message to people who are going through some challenges.
- Send a thank-you card to a person who helped a long time ago. Surprise the person by telling him or her how much you still appreciate the kindness shown to you or your family.
- Share a recorded voice or a video of you and your family to relations abroad, who you may not see or visit during this season because of the COVID-19 travel ordeal. You can still share love, hope, and joy, and any act of kindness virtually. We can communicate kindness, it is not necessarily material gifts.
- Organize a Virtual gathering, and share joys, testimonies, concerns, and offer words of encouragement, compliments, and anything that can lift one another’s soul. Be a blessing!
Just do something creative intentionally this Season to share the love and receive love. Put a smile on a person’s face, mostly the elderly, young ones, and children. Remember, many people, young and old, have gone through a lot since the year. Be a blessing to anyone you can and anyhow you can and you will have an increased joy this season. Dare to make a difference in a hurting society in any way you think you can.
Be safe, Winter storms can be dangerous; the freezing temperatures, snow, sleet, and the gusty wind, the icy conditions, pose a threat to drivers, be cautious, slow down, be kind to others, drive slowly. Better be late than never.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year in advance to everyone!
Hello there! This is a great article! Showing some kindness is a very needed thing in the world. Many people have their own unique struggles and hardships in life. Everyone handles it differently. Some are more expressive about it while there are others who may be more likely to hold it all in. I worry for the latter group and so even though we may have stressful days and want to release it somehow, sometimes showing kindness instead can go a long way, especially if that latter group is on the receiving end of the compassion shown. Thanks for this post and this reminder!
Hi Mike, thanks so much for your invaluable input. As implied, I worry about some folks who are not expressive.
This group of people hardly communicate their needs to others. And that’s what leads many to depression and suicidal thoughts because since some are not open to sharing what’s going on in their lives, they bottled in their mental pains, because of that they see nothing but hopelessness and failures. If anybody, mostly teenagers, and the elderly can share, I believe that the person will find encouragement, hope, love, and care to brave on and overcome the dark circumstance. Once again, thanks for your excellent comment on this article. Excuse my typos!
Hi Favourome, its been quite a while since I came across your articles. Dropping by to tell you how well I loved that story really inspiring that I had to reread. Showing kindness truly is one of the purest way to show Love tbh. I am quite quite happy I came by your tips for “been a blessing” just before Christmas. Thanks for this
Hi Josh, thanks so very much for stopping by today; and thanks for your candid comment. I really appreciate it.
I wish you a wonderful Christmas, and a Happy New Year in advance for you and your family! Stay safe and don’t forget to be a blessing.
this topic alone says it all. Be A Blessing, by showing some kindness. With the hate spreading I think this is a wonderful topic. different people have different snuggles. and they all have a way the handle their individual struggle, showing a little kindness goes a long way even to those that might be bad towards you.
Hi Babakes, thanks so much for your kind comment, and valuable input on this topic. You’re right, so many people are struggling, even some people we know may burn inside but lack the will to share their struggles with another person. How I wish such people can reach out for help before their minds get overwhelmed with mental pains. When we do an act of kindness, we are to look beyond the person we are doing it for and do it for posterity and for God’s sake. We do it for the undeserving and the deserving just to put it succinctly.
Thank you for sharing this here and honestly I value it all here too. I think that this will make the difference for us all and I feel that a lot more can make the difference. Thank you so much. Showing kindness to all would be perfect and I think this is quite valuable too.
Hi Liza, thanks so much for stopping by to offer your kind comment and valuable input to this post. Hoping to see you stop by often.
Have a blessed season and don’t forget to be a blessing in any way you can.