Psalm 1:1a ESV
Romans 8:28 MSG
*Psalm 1:3 ESV
Psalm 1:2b-3 MSG
I’ve always had a healthy respect for trees. I suppose part of the reason is because I was (am) ever so short. When I was a child I envied other children who could easily climb a tree. Most of the trees in our yard were tall and the lowest branches were way beyond my reach.
We did have one tree that had low branches I could reach and I did try to climb it, but I discovered there were other problems.
Even though the branches were low, the fruit on the tree invited many different species of bugs to visit. I soon discovered ants in the tree. That wasn’t great, but I could deal with the ants. The biggest problem I encountered was the bees that frequented the trees.
I discovered when I was pretty young that I was dangerously allergic to bees. A bee sting meant I had to go to the doctor…quickly. Because of that my parents told me I needed to stay away from the bees when I was outside.
That meant I couldn’t climb the peach tree.
I didn’t think that was fair.
So, I looked for another way to enjoy the trees in my yard growing up.
Psalm 1 opens in Psalm 1:1a by saying, “Bless-ed is the man”.
As an adult I read about, studied, and practiced blessings. I came to realize that even when we are not able to enjoy or do one thing, we could ask God to show was the way to another kind of blessing.
I came to realize that looking for the blessings in life is important. It’s a great form of gratitude.
My dad and I would talk about blessings and he believed that all of life is a blessing. He challenged me to look for the blessings from God everyday. He told me that sometimes they are hidden, but they ARE there.
Finding the blessing became a game to me.
There were times when I “got stuck” and I was not able to find the blessing and I would go back to my dad and tell him there wasn’t a blessing.
He would remind me there is ALWAYS a blessing. He reminded me God is in the “blessing” business and God would gladly help me find the blessing.
Indeed, Romans 8:28 in the Message tells us, “we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”
Okay, so da would remind me to look for the blessing. See the good.
From the time I realized blessings from God were ever so prevalent, finding the blessing became a challenge.
Back again in Psalm 1 the psalmist continues to expand on the blessing we are given from God in Psalm 1:3,
“He (a blessed man) is like a tree planted by streams of waterthat yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.In all that he does, he prospers.”
That gives my tree a whole new meaning.
While I was being obsesses by trying to be like other children by being able to climb a tree, God had other plans for me and the tree.
Hold onto that thought for a bit.
Let’s visit the Message version again.
Psalm 1:2-3 from the Message it says, “you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.”
Growing up I loved reading, especially during the summer months. We would go to the Public Library near my house in Raytown, MO and I would collect a new stack of books that would last me a while. Even though I couldn’t climb the trees, I could either take a blanket outside or grab a lawn chair and sit in the shade and read.
That was one of my all time favorite things to do (nerd I know).
I really loved to read my Bible. I was perfectly content to sit in the shade and read all day. While other girls were often playing with Barbie or with a baby doll, I really really preferred reading either a story book or a Bible. I chewed on the Words.
When I was young I mostly read the stories in the Bible. It was a bit like a history book of long ago. Women didn’t draw water from the tap, they got water from a well. I learned (in Sunday School) that the well was like a gathering place where they could talk to other women.
Today, more than sixty years later, I love to go to the well.
Where I live there is a spot where people (mostly women) gather to talk and laugh. We laugh a lot. We are reminded we are grateful for each other and especially for the laughter.
Sometimes we sit outside in the shade but if it’s raining or really hot and humid we sit inside at the gathering spot where we laugh and share stories. We talk about good books, good movies, and even about God.
Me da was right. Life is filled with blessings. We just have to open our eyes and look for the blessing right in front of us.
Spiritual Practice: Your Blessing
Name your blessing for today and tell God you are grateful for the blessing.
In God, Deborah
Comments