The problem with our society is that we don’t understand the power nor the dynamics of giving a blessing. We underestimate its power and we are not in the habit of giving empathy.
Few people are tuned in to feelings of rejection. Most ignore them completely. Many simply “stuff” them, hoping that they will go away. We are a people that want to fix or solve problems.
We want answers and a rational explanation for everything that happens. Or, we believe that hard work and discipline will make everything turn out right.
Do you think that the skier that crashed on the ski slope was not disciplined? Did he or she deserve to slip and fail because he or she didn’t work hard enough?
I heard a story that illustrates how our society treats personal rejection. A man with a critical illness was lying in a hospital bed, desperately wanting some word of encouragement. A nurse said to him, “you just need to work harder.”
This man had undergone multiple surgeries and was critically ill. What he needed was a “blessing.”What the skier who crashed on the slope needed was a blessing.
Thanks to Keith Wagner for sharing this.
So many of us are not in the habit of showing empathy toward others and for us Christians, that also means offering a blessing.
Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit North Broward Prep School in Coconut Creek, Florida. My hope was that they could partner with some schools in Haiti. The tuition is sizable at North Broward and I was very impressed with what the students were learning there.
But what really impressed me at North Broward Prep School was that at the end of every school day the students went through 4 steps on how they were going to use what they had learned that day to show empathy to others. Today, nothing is more needed than empathy and blessings for others.
How do YOU show empathy to others or offer a blessing to those YOU encounter?
DON’T JUST COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. BE THE BLESSING OTHER PEOPLE CAN COUNT ON!!
