CHAPTER 39: THE ART OF THE BLESSING 2026
It seems like a hundred years ago, I found myself in corporate America, in a building, in an office, in a company. Somewhere I’d never been before. Guys with ties. The global hunt for top tier money. There in that place, the conversation of God is not on the agenda, ever. There are rules, however. Things to do, things not to do, things people do. Things with God, things without God, well, looking back, God has His hand on everything, whether people like it or not. This, all of this world, is truly God’s project. Having said that, I was just waking up to Jesus, and Jesus knew just what to do with the eyes of Patrick.
I looked around and noticed that “some people” had a way of doing things that worked, others not so much, some were unscrupulous and more was never enough and some were grateful for what they had. However, all people were scared for their job, and I learned, without God, fear is the master. I also noticed that those who were unscrupulous, i.e., morally corrupt, accused all others of wrong doing, and I noticed that those who were desperate to please management and the corporation were abused regularly. There were those who looked to be grateful, and I wasn’t sure if they were brainless or like me, they didn’t seem to be affected by much of it. I did notice however, those in charge irritated me, and their idea of leadership was ill founded, not qualified and without honor. Well, so be it, I wasn’t exactly the nicest person historically and I had made a deal with God by this time, that He give me my life back, and that He show me what to do and I would do it. And by God, that’s what I was doing, albeit, stumbling all over the place, but that was the point. Learning how to be gracious with what God had given me or tasked me to do and doing it with grace. Didn’t happen very good at the beginning. I tried and failed and tried again and each and every time, because of God, I landed on my feet. Looking back, most of those people I’m referring to, just ceased to be, forgotten in time, or just gone. Domination in the corporate machine? Hardly. Just gone.
It was a long time coming for me to understand being grateful to God for the hardships, heartbreaks, sadness, disappointment or what many people consider God ignoring their request.
By the way, He doesn’t ignore any requests I have learned. Under the corporate, political chain of command, there was no God, not really, maybe the mention of it as a good luck charm or something like that. The Art of Giving was more about bonuses and if you want anything more, “best be better than last year.” It was, as I’ve instilling fear into people. Again, looking back those people in charge, who instilled fear into people, where they themselves filled with fear, governed by fear, and worshiped that fear. That I realized was a bad deal, and the dealers of a bad deal, are bad dealers. I watched, I learned.
Jeremiah 45:5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” ’ ”
Now how to be gracious in the Lord’s gifts, His teachings, His path for us? Well, in a word, obedience. Hard to do when a boss or a big client is the representative of your net worth. Really, hard. Unless, God is your witness, your everything. First, be gracious with God? How did I learn that? It has been quite a road, a good one, but, not without challenges. Why? Entitlement. What I think I deserve. I learned, the hard lesson, that I deserve nothing and nothing is going to be what I receive without honor to Him and the challenges. The Art of the Blessing. Here we go.
When’s the last time you gave to the church without an attitude, said sorry to someone and truly meant it, gave a thank you when it wasn’t necessary, tipped more than you should without anybody knowing, helped someone hateful, prayed for someone hideous, labored for the sick and pathetic and forgotten?
When? Today? I doubt it. It’s a sobering thought, a sobering reality. When’s the last time you gave a bonus without an expectation, without a fanfare? When’s the last time you gave a bonus to somebody who didn’t need it, just to thank them for what they did for you, and did it, again, without fanfare, with true humility that your family would not be safe without their efforts?
When’s the last time you did a lot for a long time, for nothing other than to help God’s mission? Having a bad day comes into clear perspective when I see a man with no legs. Finally, I learned. More ground is covered with an elegance about life and a gratitude about what I have, what I have not. Many times what I have not, is God’s way of keeping me out of the way of danger and annihilation.
There’s gifts for each of us, gifts to be acknowledged and respected. Promises, grace, mercy, blessings, miracles, salvation, redemption. Each of them a single thing with much to understand, accept and utilize. The blood of Christ, the air I breathe, each step I take, the list given to me just for today, and my life, as it stands this very second, and all the things that lead up to it. How then do I present “the art of the blessing.” I behave, period. If that doesn’t work, I pretend to behave until I actually do behave. I can have anything in this world if I’m willing to work with people I don’t like. Remember, good people are judged harshly by bad people, that doesn’t stop good people, God’s people, from behaving.
John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The gift of Discernment, direction, knowledge, wisdom, information. I have watched people, day after day, week after week, year after year, given these gifts, set them to the side, and then act like idiots. Never satisfied, never happy, whining, complaining that they’ve been cheated out of life. Ultimately, those people become their complaints and lose as advertised. Why? Well, I can just tell you what I’ve seen in my adventures with Christ. There but for the grace of God go I.
Ornery, angry and irritated, won’t do the right thing, deploy mood swings regularly, blame the world, fight against those who would help, and ultimately lose all hope for a destiny in Christ. Scary.
Should I lie and act happy when I’m not? Of course not, sadness is a part of life and we learn by bringing our feelings to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
What do I do? I pray, I read the book and obey. What does obedience look like? Do God’s work, you will find it inconvenient at first and then it becomes like a favorite sweatshirt. I wear it all the time, comfortable and I don’t care if people don’t like it, I don’t even notice if they do or don’t.
Talking with people, God is in the mix, pray with people, God is in the mix, listen, identify and re-direct others in confounding situations, God is in the mix. The Art of the Blessing is how gracious I am in the worst of times and the best. An example of God’s Divine spirit of gracious. And when it is unclear what to do, simply do life, behave yourself, talk to the Lord and wait for His direction as chores are completed.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Like a beautiful painting on a blank canvas with brush strokes and paint provided by the Master, adding color in the beauty of instructions, balance in the shades of light glistening through God’s responsibility given to you.
Luke 16:10 Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.
You will come against great opposition. I do, you do and we will. How do I possibly have good cheer in times of correction, direction, stumbling and bumbling?
Isaiah 43 “I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
I am sad for the my fellows who laugh and scoff at the magnificence of Christ and the everlasting life afforded to those who believe. Sadness for the world, yes, sadness for me, I keep that in check, with God and pray,“my Lord how do I proceed in this broken state?”
Revelation 3:8 I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close.
Chapter 39, Blessings are not just received all the time, once in awhile there is opportunity to give of many things, perhaps money, or perhaps much, much more. The Art of the Blessing. How do you receive, how do you give? I often wonder about that corporate job I had for about five years. I wonder where they would be had they all prayed in the morning for God’s will in this corporate endeavor? It definitely would’ve been quite a thing in the industry, and God would’ve used it in a powerful way. So what did I learn? Looking back it is clear, when I was there it was notable, bottom line? Without God, it all fades away, nothing more than a mist.
James 4:13-15Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Chapter 39, the art of the blessing. No matter where, give thanks, behave and know that God is teaching. Be gracious, patient, long suffering in love and dependent of the fear of God alone, never fear itself. Sometimes I feel that He, God, is not there. In those times, I try and remember that the teacher is always quiet during the test.
Amen.
