Getting four kids out the door for church on Sunday morning—and making it to the house of the Lord before service ends—requires being able to juggle quite a few things at once. Thank God my husband Kenya is my right-hand man. We make a great team, and together, we get it done.
But there are some things only mommy can do, like the girls’ hair. And Sunday, both Kyla and Kaiah’s hair wanted to rebel against me and refuse to act right. So I had to take a bit of extra time grooming them and making those locks surrender to my will.
That meant a lot less time to dress the last one in the house to get ready.
Me.
The clock was tick-tick-ticking and I didn’t want to be late, so I had to pull it all together, fast.
I was so thankful for being able to throw my hair in a quick ponytail, slip on a wrinkle-free black dress, cardigan sweater that required no ironing, and nice stilettos that at least make it look like I tried.
Daily Cup family, I was so happy when the entire Hobbs clan was all buckled in, pulling off, waving goodbye to our neighbor, and heading to church nearly right on schedule.
When we walked into the sanctuary exchanging Good Morning greetings with those we passed on the way to our seats, they had no idea what I had been through that morning! I felt like I needed a full-on nap. My tender left wrist was all swollen up and my feet were already politely letting me know that my time was limited in those 6-inch platform stilettos I had slipped into (What in the world was I thinking?). On top of that, I had hardly gotten any sleep the night before and I was really in need of some strength.
That surge of strength came when one of the praise leaders, with tears rolling down her cheeks, shared her testimony of how God had brought her through a difficult season. And after she told us all about the wonderful way God delivered her, praise hit that place and we rejoiced over God’s goodness.
I gave God glory for what He had done in the life of my sister in Christ.
And you know what happened? As I blessed the Lord on her behalf, all the other trivialities that had taken up space in my brain only moments earlier, faded away. I felt lighter and so much better and my tiredness left.
Being others-focused truly has a way of elevating you above your own concerns, great or small and positioning you to reap blessings, doesn't it?
Whether we're blessing God on behalf of someone else through praise or being a blessing to someone else through giving, blessing produces blessing.
If you need a blessing, be a blessing. If you want joy, be a source of joy in someone else's life. If you want love, give it away in abundance. It will come right back to you every time. It's the law of sowing and reaping.
That's why I'm adding Proverbs 11:25 to your cup of inspiration today. It says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." When you drink down the contents of your cup, you'll be reminded that blessing is reciprocal. The more you give to others, the more blessed you'll be.
Show me a blessed man or woman and I'll show you a giver.
That might mean giving away a smile; an encouraging word; some volunteer time; or even your financial support to a good cause, like the one my friend Melinda Watts is promoting through her Dream Girlz Gathering Foundation that benefits at-risk girls.
Being a blessing is a blessing in itself.
My prayer for you is that you would allow God to show you how to use your life every day to be a blessing.
If you seek Him, He'll direct you.
Now let's pray together.
Lord, I have concerns and issues of my own, but concentrating on them does nothing more than weigh me down. And I know that's not the way You want me to live. So today, oh God, I thank You for revealing the blessing in being a blessing. Right now, I surrender my life. Use me as a conduit through which Your love, grace, and mercy flows out to others. And as You show me all the ways I can be a blessing everyday, help me to say yes and be obedient to Your leaading. In Jesus' name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
Melinda Watts
Stellar and Dove Award-nominated gospel recording star, Melinda Watts, also Founder of the Dream Girlz Gathering Foundation, has released a beautiful new Christmas single, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Please download a copy on iTunes today.
100% of the proceeds go toward helping at-risk girls, and foster care.
Read Melinda's feature I wrote in EEW Magazine for more details about her charity and the awesome ministry work she is doing. Read it here.
