Blessings

 

“May your days be many

and your troubles be few.

May all God’s blessings

descend upon you.

May peace be within you

may your heart be strong.

May you find

what you’re seeking,

wherever you roam.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

“CHRIST BESIDE ME,

CHRIST BEFORE ME,

CHRIST BEHIND ME,

CHRIST WITHIN ME,

CHRIST BENEATH ME,

CHRIST ABOVE ME.”

~ Saint Patrick

 

 

“May the strength of God pilot us.

May the power of God preserve us.

May the wisdom of God instruct us.

May the hand of God protect us.

May the way of God direct us.

May the host of God guard us

against the snares of evil

and the temptations of the world.”

~ Saint Patrick

 

 

“May every sunrise hold more promise

and every sunset more peace.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

“May the sun always shine

on your windowpane.

May a rainbow be certain

to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend

always be near you.

May God fill your heart

with gladness to cheer you.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

“May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life’s passing seasons bring

the best to you and yours.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

“May the blessings of each day

be the blessings you need most.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

“May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you

in the palm of his hand.”

~ Irish Blessing

 

 

And each day, may we take the time to notice, acknowledge, and be grateful for God’s blessings.

 

The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Modeling Kindness

 

Last Saturday, Robyn Smith, her husband, and 4-year-old son flew from Minneapolis to New York to visit with family.  A flight attendant, Kesha, was very attentive to Charlie.  Each time she would pass by, she would speak to the little boy.  Upon arrival in New York, Charlie was eager to tell his new friend goodbye.  Their return flight, on Delta, was out of New York’s LaGuardia.  Arriving at the airport early, the Smith family ate and prepared for the flight.  It was soon evident that the flight was delayed.  While waiting for departure, Kesha spotted Charlie.  To help pass the time, she read books and watched animal videos with her little friend.  Writing to Delta, Mr. Smith expressed that Kesha “went above to make Charlie so happy.  I have never seen such amazing customer service!  We hope to cross paths again.”

Kolbie Sanders and her boyfriend were “starving” so they stopped at Whataburger to eat.  Since the drive-thru line was long, they decided to go inside to place their order.  Even though the line inside was long, and not moving quickly, they still decided to wait.  That’s when Kolbie noticed the cashier talking with the lady placing her order.  He said, “I am deaf.  Can you please talk slower?”  She gladly spoke slower, so the young man could complete her order.  When he still didn’t understand completely, they got paper for her to write down the order.  After placing her order, Kolbie was curious to see how others would respond.  “Every customer complied with him and wrote down their orders without any complaints, just smiling back at him.”  Sanders was impressed that the young man was given a chance to work at a job that would encourage him to strengthen his communication skills.  She commented, “I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to see these small acts of kindness demonstrated from so many different people.  At the end of the day, it’s about others, not ourselves.”

 

Heathyr Harkless and her daughter, Hensli, had gone to Dollar Tree to buy tweezers.  When they were in the checkout line, a lady asked Heathyr if she could give her daughter money to buy whatever she would like.  Martha explained that once someone had bought her entire cart of groceries and she wanted to bless someone, too.  Hensli hugged the lady and expressed her thanks.  After the lady left, Hensli bought a gift for her teacher and a book.  On the way home, she bought ice cream and donated a dollar.  When Heathyr asked what she planned to do with the remaining money, Hensli replied, “I am saving the rest to put in Sunday offering and to give to someone the next time we go to Dollar Tree.”  Heathyr expressed, “Thank you, Martha, for passing along the blessing you received and allowing my daughter to do the same.  Thank you for spreading goodness in this world.”

 

May we constantly be on the lookout for ways to express and model kindness.

 

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

Silver Linings

An elderly man paused at the top of the escalator.  As a line began to form behind him, it soon became obvious that he was afraid to get on.  A young man approached, made eye contact with the man, offered his arm, and asked, “May I help you on, sir?”  The man quietly said that he had been stuck on an escalator recently and was a little scared.  While the people in line patiently waited, the older man reached for the young man’s arm and they safely rode down together.  One of those witnessing the dilemma expressed, “In about an hour, the evening news will air and we’ll be reminded of division, political mudslinging, shootings and other heartaches.  But today, violence, age, politics, and other social lines were blurred and one person simply helped another.  I wanted to hug both of them.  Whoever this young man is, YOUR FAMILY RAISED YOU RIGHT!  THANK YOU!  So, please look for the silver linings – as I was so fortunate to witness this evening." 

Michael Smith was waiting at the Loves in Newton, North Carolina, for his load to cut.  A family, riding in a red SUV, pulled up next to him.  As the father and young son approached the truck, Michael rolled down the window.  Picking up his son to reach the window, the father told the driver, “I hope you’ve had a great Driver Appreciation Week” as his son handed Michael a bag of candy.  The father explained that his son was fascinated with big trucks and had asked them to stop so he could give the truck driver his bag of candy.  Smith recounted, “It just goes to show that there can be good people in this world and gives me hope for the future generations.  This honestly just made my week 100% better.”

 

As Wendy Nance was leaving Walgreens, she noticed a Vietnam veteran slowly walking in the pouring rain carrying a bag with toothpaste and laundry soap.  She immediately went back inside the store and purchased umbrellas and went out to catch up with Gary.  He didn’t want a ride back to the senior center, where he lived, because he wanted the exercise to keep up his strength.  Wendy made the decision to walk the ¼ mile with Gary, even though it took an hour and a half.  She commented, “It was an absolutely lovely way to spend a Friday night.  Great conversation and unexpected connections.”

 

May we, too, find the silver lining as we do good deeds and minister to others.

 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12