Explore the Power of Blessings

Written by Francis Shaw book of blessings

“The most difficult arithmetic to master is the arithmetic that allows us to count our blessings.”

A small gift from heaven is how tradition has described blessings, and the above quote, written by atheist philosopher Eric Hoffer, invites us to think more deeply. Not only to express our gratitude for the gifts we have received, but also to express our gratitude for the deeper, more mysterious insights that await our unraveling and the benefits of blessings that are silently awaiting our discovery. Let’s think about it.

Apart from struggling with calculations, we leave other layers to ponder over to spiritual masters and limit our understanding by variously describing blessings as mixed or disguised. I openly admit that I am. It’s a simple choice to keep them hidden. There is a sense of peace that feels like being wrapped in a mysterious blanket. This needs no explanation and we often use it to put distance between ourselves and the truths we claim we cannot know. In a world full of connections, we are now perhaps in a better position than ever to have the courage to peer beneath the veil and reveal the true blessings we desire to discover.

It’s not feelings of stupidity or helplessness that hold us back, but knowing how to start. Questions are our gateway to all that is unknown. That is how each journey begins and how we begin our search for blessings.

What do we want from them? What do they want from us?

We want to know that we are loved, valued, and accepted. May our pleas for help be heard above all noise. These are demands expressed by all the children of the universe because we are aware of our weaknesses, and these are words of Latin origin. Vulnerability – get hurt. Even though we are hurting, we seek reassurance that we are protected. I hope everything goes well. Blessings will fulfill those wishes. Sometimes the fog clears and we realize its importance and express our gratitude, but more often than not, the tears we shed are bleeding heart wounds. This gift can be forgiven as a coincidence, a fluke, because the universe decides whether the coin lands on heads or tails, whether you are satisfied or disappointed.

It’s hard to settle for less. It’s even harder when you should feel blessed and you don’t. Weakness has the power to drown us in waves of disillusionment or to raise us above the raging seas as warriors of hope, faith, and compassion, which we feel when our souls are deeply touched.

The beauty of life lies in discovering what we have overlooked or misunderstood, and blessings are no exception. These are not trite words to hold back our tears. There are no hidden meaningful messages either. They do not demand change or admit mistakes or sadness.

Blessings ask us to trust.

My great boss transferred departments. New people have arrived. Rumors of change. The phone came. my job? Gone. After working for a company for 10 years, I was reorganized for the fourth time in my life. There is change, but is it a blessing?

I received a call from my previous boss. There may be work in her department. It took two months for the confirmation letter to arrive. I stumbled on International. Travel is a must. There is change, but is it a blessing?

I was unsure of my new role when the phone rang on Thursday of my first week. My boss called me to Paris, France on Monday. An opportunity to practice my four French words. There is change, but is it a blessing?

A few weeks have passed. Planned and formulated. The pair has been decided. For the next six months, my German colleague and I traveled back and forth between the United States and Nice, France. There is change, but is it a blessing?

Once the project is finished, change will be calling to me again? To what? Where? Love blossomed unexpectedly.

It has been 12 years since I rejected doing nothing as a blessing. Blessings are not something we simply receive with gratitude. They are a call to action and a catalyst for transformation, not change. To become more than what we were before. Blessings, through the power of love, close our wounds with those formed by forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance. The invitation to bless is a reminder of what is possible when we let go of worry and accept trust as our guide.

To respond to the call of blessing, I moved from my native England to the United States and then to Germany, where I live with my wife and three children, now grown heirs. We cannot afford to live our lives with hindsight. Accepting the feeling of being stuck in what would happen if change were to occur. Blessings always say it like it is. Nothing is hidden. Connections are waiting for us to stumble upon them and embrace them as our own. Through the immense power of blessing, it challenges us to see ourselves and our lives differently, and it inspires us to listen and act.

You are not here by chance or mistake. You are not small or insignificant. No one else has a smile like yours… no one else has kindness in your radiance. No one touches the world with your light except you. No one else will feel the way your spirit feels, and no one will hold another the way you do. No one else experiences your journey through your eyes and heart. No one else has unique blessings waiting for you.