Being a Blessing Builder

Years ago we developed a friendship with a neighbor who lived a rough and addicted life. Andy was one of those guys who looked older than he was because of poor life choices and living a lonely life. Jonny began building a relationship with him through helping him with work and stopping by to check on him. The first time Christi met Andy, he came by our house to ask Jonny a question, only he wasn’t home. Christi was hesitant to answer the door, because well, he was just a little rough looking, and she hadn’t met Andy yet to know who he was. She noticed, through the window, that he was reading the sign that’s on their front porch, which reads, “Whether you come in to visit or just to rest, when you enter our home may you truly feel blessed.” He just stood there looking at it, with Christi still not knowing who he was. Something inside her made her open the door with a smile, saying, “Hi, how can I help you?” Maybe he wasn’t expecting anyone to be home because she took so long to get to the door, but he practically jumped when the door opened. Before he answered her question, he looked at her with kindness and said, “ I really like that.” Then, it was as if he had to snap himself out of something, he asked if Jonny was home. As he left and Christi closed the door behind her, she played the scenario over and over. How did that sign speak to him? Was it just something to read while he stood there or did the words actually settle into a corner of his soul? Maybe he realized that someone was speaking blessing over him. Maybe he’s never experienced someone blessing him or someone hoping for him to be blessed, a concept very far from his life with whom he chose to surround himself with. Maybe in that small moment, he got a glimpse of someone wanting the best for him. She realized then that even a porch sign on the wall could make someone stop and think about their significance in life. Just by reading it, someone could feel a little more blessed, because someone else desired it for them. Do you desire blessing or cursing to those around you? We do have the power to shift our own life in that, but we can also shift that in those around us. What we think, what we speak out loud over others and/or ourselves and what we choose to do will manifest in our lives as either blessing or cursing. The story in the Bible of Abram leaving his land, people group, and extended family is one of the first proclamations of this concept of blessing and cursing. In Genesis 12:2-3 NIV, God lays out how Abram’s obedience in leaving the land of Haran will affect him and those around him: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” When our children are leaving for an overnight or a trip, Christi often says, “Be blessed and be a blessing.” We want our children to experience blessing, but more importantly, we want them to always be aware of who they can bless along their path, so that “all people on earth will be blessed through them.” Our prayer is that through this book you can gain an understanding of the importance of blessing and ideas on how to begin incorporating it into your life. As you read through this book, understand that this is not a step by step process. You don’t have to master speaking blessing over yourself before you begin practicing it over your family. You’ll have to forgive yourself over and over for not guarding your tongue, but it’s okay if you learn from mistakes and do better. It’s part of the journey to learn and try again. Eventually, the practice will turn into second nature and will become a habit. You will read stories from our own experiences in our family and as blessing builders in our community. We wrote many stories about our children that are hard to share, but they’ve given permission for us to share to bring hope that there is a better way. We both write portions of this book and some words are written out together. There is repetition in concepts. Through repetition we can better create habits. That’s our goal for repeating and going back to certain thoughts. Be blessed as you read the pages of this book and begin to put these ideas and concepts into practice.