welcome May 17, 2004 Issue

I want to be a blessing

Wendy Rankin

The other day I saw a commercial for a local bank. It had no dialogue ... only music and one scenario after another of all sorts of people doing simple, thoughtful things for each other. Things that happen often every day and may go unnoticed. I'm embarrassed to say that the first time I saw this commercial I got teary-eyed. I thought, I want to be more like one of those nice people.

That commercial served as a reminder to me that blessings don't have to be huge, lightning-bolt events that happen in our lives. It dawned on me that the simple act of sharing an umbrella with a stranger or helping someone pick up a bag of spilled groceries can be a blessing because it makes both people involved feel love. The one who received the help feels cared for, while the one who performed the kind act feels a divine empowerment.

One definition of the word blessed is "bringing pleasure or contentment; enjoying or relating to spiritual contentment." Well, I realized that I have been on the receiving end of blessing countless times in my life, even if I wasn't aware of what form they took. But I'd like to be more aware of occasions when I could be the blesser—and bring some of that "spiritual contentment" to someone else.

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