From the Inside Out

(Brown Caterthun, Scotland)

As you know, paleontologists dig up dinosaur bones; archaeologists dig up ancient ruins. I aspire to be a chesedologist. That’s a word I made up, splicing together chesed*, the word for loving kindness in ancient Hebrew, and –ologist, a suffix referring to someone who deals with a certain topic or subject.

As a chesedologist, I aspire to specialize in the subject of God’s loving kindness, searching for his gifts–especially in hidden places. And though the gifts themselves are precious treasure, their value is increased because his glorious attributes are represented in each gift.

Last week we meditated on a list of God-given delights that stretch from A to Z, creating an alphabet of joy. This week, let’s add a few more, but focus on those blessings that may be hidden from view at first glance. For example:

The blessing of surprise

No doubt you’ve experienced astonishing incidents like this one that only God could have engineered:

As the coronavirus swooped down upon us, I received a call from my brother John. He just happened to have a whole box of N95 construction masks that a friend just happened to leave behind when he moved out of state.

John sent us a carton of thirty, knowing that my husband would need such protection, given his compromised immune system. We shared the bounty with our daughter-in-law, a physician, when even hospitals were in short supply of the specialized masks. She shared with vulnerable colleagues.

Some would say, “What a coincidence!” That’s a misnomer. Such occurrences as these are God-incidents, proving his propensity to bless us beyond what we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

The blessing of wings

No, not wings for us. Maybe God will issue those when we get to heaven. For now we are blessed to take refuge under his protective wings (Psalm 91:4) as he tucks us next to his heart—especially during times of hurt, discouragement, or fear.

When my husband underwent a liver transplant in December 2018, I waited mostly alone more than eight hours for word of his prognosis. But I felt those protective wings around me the entire time, providing inexplicable calm and peace.

The blessing of uncertainty

In February I received a summons for jury duty. Just getting to the courthouse presented challenge: 1) navigating a traffic-jammed, downtown district with one-way streets, 2) finding a parking garage with an open spot, 3) finding my way out of the garage and to the courthouse, and 4) finding the jury room.

In the afternoon, the challenges were reversed: 1) find my way out of the courthouse, 2) find the garage again, and 3) find the car.

That first day I had to pray myself through every step. And God turned every apprehension into blessing. The first garage I pulled into had open spaces starting on Floor 7.  The courthouse was not far away, and a kind woman on the street gave me directions. In the afternoon, no mishaps or mis-turns occurred. All went well.

It’s foolish of me to fret about the unknown. Nothing is certain—except our God. And he does not fail (Job 42:2).

Uncertainty becomes blessing when viewed through the lens of adventure.  It builds our trust muscles, and sets the stage for miracles.

Perhaps you too are an aspiring chesedologist and have found blessings hidden in unusual places. Please share in the comment section one of your discoveries.  Reach out with your story and offer the chesed of encouragement to others!

*chesed is pronounced with a guttural “ch” and two short “e’s.”  The accent is on the first syllable.

Photo credits:  http://www.wikimedia.org; http://www.pickpik.com (2); http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.canva.com.