This week at church we opted to go out into the community rather than gather together for a message. We were paired off in teams of two, and each team was given $100. We were instructed to find someone to bless at the grocery store by paying for their groceries. I went to a chain grocery store in Indiana named Aldi. For those of you who aren’t from around here, it is a lower income grocery store.
As my friend Christina and I causally browsed the store in search of the perfect person to bless, an older woman caught both of our attention multiple times. We finally decided that she was the one we would bless. While she was waiting in the checkout line I approached her and started a conversation. I mentioned her large cart of groceries and asked her if she was having a lot of family over for Thanksgiving. She told me that her children were coming in from all over the country and that she was really excited to have everyone together since it was a rare occasion.
At that moment I told her why I had approached her. I said, “That sounds like such a wonderful time! I hope your family makes the most of it, in fact, I actually came over here because I felt led to pay for your groceries.” She looked at me in amusement and began to chuckle. Then she did something I didn’t expect. She told me to pick somebody else and that there were a lot of other families in the store that needed it more than her. While most people would probably agree and move on, I felt even more compelled to give her the money after that.
I simply looked her in the eyes and asked her, “Why not you? Out of everyone in the store, I picked you. You deserve to be blessed every now and then just like everyone else.” Realizing that I wasn’t going to take no for an answer, she allowed me to buy her groceries. I helped her place them on the conveyor belt as we talked more about her children. After paying for her groceries, she gave me a hug, said thank you, and wished me a happy Thanksgiving.
As she walked away, I was reminded of all the times in the past that God was trying to bless me through someone else and I pushed them away, which is why I believe God placed that particular woman on my heart. Most of us are guilty of this, however, when you are a missionary; you either learn very quickly that you need to accept blessings or you won’t make it very far in your goals.
During my first trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea, I had several moments where people gave very generously even though I knew they weren’t in a financial position to do so. In the beginning I would fight them on it, only to lose the battle and walk away feeling guilty for accepting their money. Then God slowly started teaching me a lesson. Over the course of a few weeks, I found myself wanting to go out of my way for people only to have them insist repeatedly that they didn’t want me to, and you know what? That was really frustrating! After it happening several times, I realized that I was learning how other people feel when I try to reject their blessings. It was then that I started to say thank you and accept a gift rather than fighting it.
You see, most people don’t just run around doing everything for everyone else and giving money to every organization. When someone decides to do something for you, give you money, pay for your meal, or anything else, they are very intentional about it. I know this is very true for those who donate to missionaries, and it’s something I take very seriously. You can pick any cause and any missionary, and yet you choose to support me. Whether it was God prompting you, your strong belief in what I’m doing, or your trust in me and my abilities, these are all strong reasons that I do not take lightly, and I am truly grateful for.
So what blessings in your life are you turning down repeatedly? Not just from other people, but from God as well. I think sometimes it’s hard for people to accept that every now and then, someone wants to do something nice for us. Let me tell you, your life will be so much more fulfilling when you learn to accept it and say thank you! Life is hard, but every now and then, something really beautiful happens, and most of the time it is through the generosity of someone else. Why would we reject that?
Lastly, one thing I have noticed in my own life is that when I start accepting blessings freely, I am also more willing to be a blessing to others. Kindness is contagious, and eventually when someone receives so much of it, they can’t help but overflow and pour it out onto others. The world would be a much better place if we all allowed ourselves to be blessed so that we can become a blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
