B is for Blessed

Today we celebrated our first Sunday in our new church building. It was an exciting morning and just a great time of worship and fellowship. This whole week has been a great time of fellowship with church members who stopped in to work at the church to get it ready for today.

After the service this morning, I stopped in the sound booth to talk to Minnie, my pastor’s wife. I consider Minnie my Korean mother. She is a remarkable woman who struggles daily with horrible rheumatoid arthritis, while trying to care for her family (my pastor had a stroke 2 years ago and has battled seizures and falls since then, but is getting better daily, Praise the Lord) and help out with church. As I stuck my head in to chat with her, I said, “You look like you are feeling good today Minnie!” She said, “No, Kristen, I feel so bad, but I am looking around at all the blessings of today.” I said, “You are happy that Joanna (oldest daughter) is home for Grace’s (youngest daughter) graduation.” She said, “Absolutely, but I am also looking at all the other blessings of today. The new building and elevator. All of the people that are here.” She went on to list this long list of blessings. I had no words to describe what I felt to hear her, who has struggled so much rejoicing in the blessings of the day. All I could do was cry.

What an example she is to me, such an encouragement to all of us who know her. This conversation has had me thinking all day about how blessed I am and how easily I let circumstances or struggle dictate my focus. I am blessed beyond measure for so many reasons, but even if I only could say that I have salvation in Jesus Christ and will spend eternity in heaven with Him, I would still be blessed beyond measure.

So on that note, I want to share some of the blessings in my life.

~ I am blessed to know that God answer prayers, in the case of our new church building, we have prayed for many years for a better facility with an elevator (our former building was on the 4th floor with no elevator and the steepest stairs known to man) and God provided. Not only did He provide for the facility, it was remodeled, and moved into within a two week time span. In another case, two of my colleagues and friends, after many years of praying to have children and struggling to conceive were blessed just two weeks ago with not one bundle of joy, but two precious children – one boy and one girl – and on Mother’s day.

~I am blessed to have family and friends who pray for me. Life is difficult, but I know that at any given point there is someone praying for me.

~I get to do the one thing I always dreamed of doing – coaching – practically everyday.

~My students bring a smile to my face everyday. I love them so much and am so thankful that I get to teach them.

~Zumba – I know, it’s a silly exercise program, but I am so blessed to be able to do it here. It is a fun, healthy release and I’m learning just how much I love to dance – even if I am terrible at it. I look forward to it all day long.

There are so many more. What are some of your blessings?