Blessings

Author Dennis Lehane was interviewed recently on National Public Radio. He said something tangential to his new book that I found made me pause to think about.

Lehane stated that we spend life pursuing happiness and that, in his mind, was an illusive if not impossible task. One never gets there. Instead, LeHane says, we should work to make the blessing outweigh the regrets. In other words, the totality of life can be blessed even if happiness is not always present. As a hospital chaplain, I heard a lot of end of life regrets. Most of them had to do with busyness at the expense of family and the things that are truly important.

 

Jesus tells us a whole lot of ways to be blessed and to bless. All have to do with giving of ourselves or staying true to him. The blessing of giving is two-fold in that we give AND get blessings when we bless others. A blessing is an unselfish gift that costs the giver.

 

Tip the scales of life in your favor today. Bless each one you meet today. Especially bless those not related to you and who can offer you nothing in return. Not only will you build up your "blessing account," you will not have any time to formulate new regrets.