?Gem. Yes, that?s my name. G?E?M. It?s not a nickname. It?s not short for anything. My dad took one look at me when I was born and said, ?What a Gem!??
I?ve had this conversation more times than I can count. Most people follow?up my explanation with something like??Aaaaawww, how sweet!? ?It is sweet.
Growing up, I did not fully appreciate my name or its meaning. ?My maiden name was "Wheat" so you may?guess that I was the brunt of a few elementary school playground name-calling sessions.
In the years that followed, and especially in my current season of life, my name is one of my most valued ?possessions.?? My name has become the greatest blessing bestowed upon me by my dad. I couldn?t be more grateful.
With the simple utterance of the words, ?What a Gem!? my dad showed exactly what he thought of me.
Dallas Willard has said that a ?blessing is the projection of good into the life of another. It isn?t merely words. It is the actual putting forth of your will for the good of another person. It always involves God. Only God is capable of bringing good to another. We naturally say, ?God bless you,? and that?s right. You bless someone when you will their good by invoking God on their behalf. This is the nature of blessing. God wants us to receive blessing from Him and extend it to others.?
Blessing is the projection of good?into the life of another. (Dallas Willard) (Tweet This)
This Thanksgiving, many of us will count our blessings and remember the things for which we are most grateful. One of the ways we can show our gratitude for what we have received is to extend blessing to others.
This week, savor at least one way God has blessed you. Then try ?putting forth your will for the good of another person.??
Be a blessing.?God is present. He loves you. Let that overflow.
(Adapted?from a?Presence blog entry dated November 12, 2013.)
