From Shared Tomatoes

Blessings in the Ordinary

An excerpt from the book.

After a sixteen-hour drive back from visiting my son and his family in Tennessee, we finally lay ourselves down. I was about to say the trite but true words, “There’s no place like home.” I knew both Dorothy and my wife would agree. But before I could get them out, my wife said, “We are blessed!”

My only response was a single word: “Yes!” And then we fell fast asleep.

Anyone familiar with Ignatius’s Examen prayer would recognize the invitation here: review the day—or in this case, the past five days. Where did I meet God? Then linger with one moment where God was especially present. I suspect Ignatius’s prayer echoes in everyone’s life, even if they’ve never heard of it, even if they don’t consciously review their day.

So, this morning I did take time to review the past five days. Blessings surfaced one after another: the safety of travel, the joy of visiting family, kind store clerks along the way, attending worship where my daughter-in-law pastors. So many blessings!

I ended my prayer by uncovering one final gift. It was the moment my wife spoke those words out loud: “We are blessed.” How necessary it was for me to realize that blessing in the very moment of laying our heads down, drifting off to sleep. And how blessed I am to lie next to someone who continually blesses me with her life.

Blessings matter. We often end our emails or texts with “Blessings!” Is there any better way to sign off with someone you care for?

And being blessed by another carries responsibility: to receive the blessing with joy, to honor the one who is blessed, and to share in the mystery of blessing both given and received.