At Home with Susan
Monthly Column by Susan Sikes

Within the past 2 weeks, the Lord has consistently been showing me that I need to be more of a blessing to the people around me. First of all, He began to speak through the youth camp I attended a couple weeks ago. The entire week was about your life being a mission trip. Next was through the movie, Evan Almighty. If you have seen this movie, you know that the message is very clear. However, one of the most inspiring messages I have heard came from a special last Saturday morning on the “Today Show.”

The inspiring story was about a doctor who had retired and moved to Hilton Head to play golf. After a very short time, he was completely bored. He had spent all of his life being a blessing to others and felt he had to continue. He noticed all of the workers of the estates and hotels who were in need of health care but couldn’t afford it. He did the only thing he knew to do. He opened up a free clinic. A few years have passed and the free practice is booming. He has recruited other retirees to help, and has actually begun practices in other parts of the United States just like the original. This is how he is spending his retirement!

As he was being interviewed, he shared that every night when his family would eat dinner, his dad would ask everyone at the table who they blessed that day. If they had blessed someone, they shared their story. He accredited this tradition to making him the person that he is today.

As I thought about this, I thought how you have to almost make it a habit to bless others or you just get caught up in your day-to-day activities. I want my family to have this “blessing habit” as a part of them (myself included). Yesterday we took a mini-vacation day to Dallas. This was the perfect opportunity for blessings. At the end of the day, I asked them the question. Lots of thinking was going on, and a few blessings were mentioned. I believe that if I continue to ask the question, each day will be a little more thought out and more blessings will occur.

Blessing others does not have to be a difficult thing. The Lord provides each of us with different gifts and abilities. Do what you know and love to do. Blessings do not have to be monetary either. Just think of random acts of kindness. Here is a list of a few things to try:

• Cook, clean, yard work, or other services
• Pay the tollbooth for the person behind you
• Leave a quarter in a gumball machine
• Visit the nursing home, shut-ins, or hospital patients
• Run errands
• Share the message of Christ!

“Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

For all of you who love to cook, I will leave you with a quick & easy fudge recipe. Use it to bless someone today.

Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge

1-1/2 cups of Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 bag (12 oz.) of Peanut Butter Chips
1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teaspoon of Vanilla

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter and melt by cooking in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove and stir. Add vanilla & sweetened condensed milk, stirring until well blended. Pour into a baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares and bless!

© 2007 by Susan Sikes