A few days ago, I discovered through a text from someone that my phone was not calling out or receiving calls. I tried to solve the problem, but nothing worked. Because I was engaged in this lesson of “Finding the Blessing,” I squelched my frustration and need to complain, and instead asked myself, “What is the blessing in this?” The answer that came to me was, “It is no longer Thanksgiving Thursday and so, stores are open, and Verizon is not that far away.” I immediately got dressed, slipped on my boots and coat, and took off on Black Friday to face the crowds. Another blessing was that the Verizon store is on a quiet street, and so I was the only customer at the time! It was an easy fix, and I moved on with the rest of my day.
Later in the afternoon, after communicating with my daughter-in-law in California, I had to make a quick trip to Costco to check out a present for my granddaughter. My first thought was, “Oh no! Costco on Black Friday!” But the blessing was it turned out to be an auspicious time; the crowds had left, and the store was quieter than usual. Returning home in after-work traffic, I chose the back way rather than getting on the freeway, knowing that neither choice was great. But another blessing showed up! Downtown Anoka was quiet with little traffic, there was no construction enroute, and I breezed home.
Unity’s first premise is: “There is only One Presence and One Power in the Universe, God, the Good, Omnipotent.” The spiritual practice related to that is the lesson title this week: “Finding the Blessing.” We look for the blessing, the good in all things.
During this challenging time in our country and our world, and also with the stress of the holiday season, it can help to deepen this practice. Instead of worries or stress, focus on finding the blessing! And when you move beyond one or two that might remedy an immediate concern, you can also start thinking about all of your many blessings. Once you start doing this, the list can go on and on…from loved ones, to all of the functions of your body, to your home, your work, the beauty around you, and all the amazing species of life on the planet, not to mention the rest of the universe. One could spend hours.
The next time you feel burdened by your troubles, stop the worry, and begin to count all the blessings you can think of. It can change your attitude completely. And if you have trouble sleeping at night, count every blessing of the day and it will make a difference. This idea of blessing, however, is not only about counting and appreciating all that we have received. It really gets to the essence of our life on the planet, particularly in this culture. We are, in fact, born in “original blessing,” blessed by the Universe for billions of years before church fathers created the concept of “original sin.” And that means that each of us is a blessing ourselves.
That can take you into a deeper experience of finding the blessing by asking, “How have I been a blessing in my life? How am I a blessing now?” We are born in original blessing and the more we count our blessings in gratitude, the more we become awestruck by life, by the universe. We come to realize the sacredness of all.
Love & blessings,
Kathy