When I woke up this morning, instead of thinking about the challenges of the day ahead, I was thinking about how blessed I am and thought before leaving for work I would write a column naming a few of the blessings I am experiencing. Sure, I’m in the middle of challenges, like you, but right now I am overwhelmed by God’s goodness to me.
Here are just a few of my blessings.
Blessing No 10: What a blessing it is for me to be a chaplain for the Columbus Police Department. I get to see how hard these 92 employees work and how many of them place their lives on the line each and every day for our community. What I do for them is minuscule compared to what they do for me. What a blessing it is for me to get to spend time with many of them each week, whether riding along in their patrol car, leading a chapel service or just stopping by to encourage them in some small way.
Blessing No. 9: What a blessing it is for me to witness God’s healing in the lives of the people I counsel day after day. I get to see, firsthand, God at work as he restores marriages and other relationships and as he brings families back together after years of separation and helps them learn to work together as a cohesive unit where each member truly loves and cares for each other.
Blessing No. 8: What a blessing it is for me to watch people on the People Trail as they walk by and look at the 10-foot crosses located in my back yard. My prayer for them is that these crosses will remind them of God’s sacrificial love when he gave his only son, Jesus, and that if they accept him they will have eternal life.
Blessing No. 7: What a blessing it is for me to get to mentor another young woman as she becomes a maturing Christ follower. There’s no doubt in my mind that she is teaching me much more than I am teaching her.
Blessing No. 6: What a blessing it is for me to have such good memories of a spouse who was solid in his walk with Christ. My husband, Dave, took the responsibility of leading our daughters and myself in family devotions and prayer time each day. He was my daily prayer partner for 36 years, and of all the things I miss about him since his passing two years ago, I continue to miss this most of all.
Blessing No. 5: What a blessing it is for me to be part of a nine-member professional women’s prayer group that meets every other week in my office on our lunch hour. The time we spend specifically praying with and for each other during the week is priceless. I am so blessed to have each of these mature, precious Christ followers in my life.
Blessing No. 4: What a blessing it is for me, when I’m home, to get to worship with other believers in a church that is solid in its Biblical teaching. My church has a staff that is second to none and is made up of mature Christ followers and led by a shepherd who has a heart for his sheep and is not hesitant to speak the truth of God’s word and wants only God’s best for them.
Blessing No. 3: What a blessing it is for me to get to meet with a variety of women who are Christ followers for coffee or lunch during the week. It’s a time we each cherish as we encourage one another. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Oh, how blessed I am to have so many friends in my life who love me and encourage me. These friends mean the world to me as I give so much of myself to others for the cause of Christ.
Blessing No. 2: What a blessing it is for me to have two daughters, a son-in-law and, especially, a grandson who love me and treat me as if I am made of gold.
Blessing No. 1: What a blessing it is to me to get to serve Christ, after all he has done for me. Could there ever be a greater blessing than this? I think not.
Now, what about you? How is God richly blessing you today?
Columbus’ Nita Evans is owner of Confidential Christian Counseling, focusing her work especially with ministry leaders and their families. She also is a Columbus Police Department chaplain and a national retreat and conference speaker. She can be reached at 812-614-7838 or by visiting specialspeaker.com.
