Finding the Blessing in Each Day
Every Wednesday afternoon they come–anywhere from 50-70 widow and orphans make their way from the tiny villages out in the bush of Kenya, and fill the cafeteria of the Mara Christian Academy for a free meal. Not all the widows are old, some are as young as 15 – young girls given in marriage by their parents to become one of the wives of an older man who passes away leaving multiple widows. Generous gifts from the US make it possible for the people of the local church my son-in-law pastors in the Masai Mara of Kenya to care for this group of grateful women and children.
These women have hard lives. Things we take for granted like food, water, clothing and sometimes even shelter, are difficult to come by with the meager income some are able to etch out. So every Wednesday they gratefully accept the invitation and come with nothing tangible to give in return, but their offering of thanks to God. The women are thankful for God’s love and gracious provision for them – in the good times and the bad. Their broken hearts are broke open and thankfulness pours out acknowledging all the ways God blesses and provides for them each day.
This week there was extra and my daughter and son-in-law were able to give each woman a 2 lb bag of cornmeal; about a 2 day supply of an everyday staple in their diet. When they received their bags of cornmeal, the women spontaneously stood up and began singing a song that says “God knows our today and tomorrow.” Their beautiful hearts of gratitude encouraged to me to both count my blessings and to be a channel of blessing to others.
Each of us is either thankful for what we’ve been given or resentful over what has been withheld. Whichever we practice becomes our way of life. A resentful heart is a thankless heart while a heart of thanks finds the blessings in each day. Today, I want to encourage each of us to both count our blessings and be channels of blessing. Be involved in God’s plan today, be an instrument of blessing. Throughout the Scriptures we see Jesus as God’s instrument, passing on the heart and mind of the Father. He was a conveyer of blessing while He walked this earth. When He ascended into heaven, He took His physical body with Him, but He gave a new charge–to be the body of Christ. He no longer had a physical body on earth through which He could bless others. But now through the body of Christ, of which we are all members (1 Cor. 12:27), we’re to take up where Jesus left off, conveying God’s heart and mind to others. “And from His fulness we have all received grace upon grace (blessing upon blessing)” John 1:16. Take the grace upon grace, the blessings God’s given you, and bless others with them today in Jesus name.
If you would like to learn more about my daughter and son-in-law’s ministry to the Masai people in Kenya, you can find their website here. They also have a Facebook page, The Sawyers in Kenya.
Great reminder, Marsha!! What a beautiful site to see. Bless your daughter and son in law.
Thank you, Heather!
Thanks for sharing the wonderful ministry of your daughter and son-in-law. I worked with the Maasai during my junior and senior year of college, and met my husband on that missions trip. Kenya and the Maasai people have a special place in my heart. It is so encouraging to see the good work your daughter and her family are engaged in there in Kenya.