A Blessing in Disguise

Welcome to my Friends and Fellowship Serenity Summer Soiree. Each week during the months of June, July, and August plan to enjoy meeting some of my favorite writing friends and fellowship around the goodness of the Lord. This week, we are encouraged by my dear friend, fellow blogger, and writer, Paula Short, as she reminds us we never know when God might use us as a blessing in disguise.

Welcome Paula!

“The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26— NASB

It was a sunny day in October 1998. I still remember my visit to the hospital that day. I can recall walking down the ICU corridor with my dad.

As we rounded the nurse’s station, the sun’s rays streamed through the windows, bathing the hallway in a warm glow. I caught a glimpse of my mother’s room through the open door, and my heart skipped a beat.

Something made me stop, to which I made my dad stop too. He asked me why we stopped. I said, “Look” — into my mom’s room. We were still several feet from her room, but what we saw would stay with me all these years.

A Gentle Blessing

Her nurse was so compassionately sponge-bathing my mom’s hair at the time and combing it. I could hear the gentleness in her voice and see her gentle movements. She was talking to my mom with genuine kindness.

The nurse’s gentle voice and soothing touch, as she sponge-bathed my mom’s hair and combed it, spoke volumes about her compassion. I could hear the kindness in her words and see it in her actions. She spoke to my mom with such genuine care, and it was clear that she was treating her with compassion and respect.

Watching this kind of nurse care for my mom touched my soul.

I felt a wave of warmth wash over me, and I wondered if my mom could feel it, too, the genuine care of her nurses. She was sedated and on life support, but I hoped she could somehow sense kindness and compassion. She passed away a few days later, but I will never forget the compassion of her nurses. It was a small comfort in a difficult time.

A Legacy of Blessing

I will never forget the nurse who cared for my mom during her final days. I don’t remember her name, but God does. She never knew how her warmth, genuineness, and kindness blessed us that day.

But God did.

This memory has popped into my mind many times through the years. Each time, I am filled with a feeling of being blessed and grateful. I smile, knowing that her kindness touched my life in a way that will never be forgotten.

You see, my friend, you may be a blessing to someone without even knowing it. Your warmth, genuineness, kindness, compassion, and benevolence can touch another person’s life in ways you may never know.

God can use an event, circumstance, or situation to bring about change and move people’s hearts. He always works for our good.

We might never know if we’ve been a blessing to someone. And that’s okay because God does.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 — NASB

Somebody’s Blessing

By Paula Short

In life, we may face trials and strife,
But our God can use them to change
our life, He can turn our circumstances around,
And move our feelings so we’re no longer bound.

Sometimes, we may not know,
If we’ve helped someone to grow,
But God sees and knows it all,
And He works for our good, never to let us fall.

His love is genuine and pure,
And in Him, we can find a cure,
For the pain and sorrows we face,
And find hope in His loving embrace.

So let us trust in His plan,
And hold onto His guiding hand,
For He can use any event or situation,
To bring about changes and move
feelings for our transformation.

And though we may never know,
If we’ve been a blessing to someone below,
We can trust that God sees and knows,
And in Him, our love and kindness will
always show. 

Paula considers herself an ordinary Christian woman traversing through the wilderness of an everyday mess. She is a retired Social Worker with a BSW who lives in Western Pennsylvania with her emotional support dog— a spoiled rotten amusing delightful beagle named Little Girl. She has two adult daughters who are off pursuing their own aspirations. Paula is a contributing writer for Woman to Woman Ministries and Faith on Every Corner Monthly Digital Magazine. You can find more inspiration and encouragement at her blog Grace Filled Moments.