BLESSING EXPERT

What are you good at? Is there something you can claim that you are a master of. I read a portion of the book “Good to Great”. It is a book report on a research about great companies. Using the Hedgehog Concept and following the three cycles, these companies moved from good to great. The first cycle is “What can you be the best in the world at?” It clearly articulates the expertise of a particular company as compared to its competitor. Likewise, the first cycle can also be a question for all of us. What can we best in the world at? I remember an experience where I led a group of noble men into discovering and developing where they should be good at. We we

re having a planning session for the school. Every unit was asked to present its operational plan for the new school year. During the break, I happened to sit at table with the school president. We talked about other plans of the school and he was sharing passionately about his interest in offering a socialized program in our Basic Education Department. When were about to resume our planning session, he asked me to facilitate the annual retreat for the brothers- the Brothers of the Sacred Heart which was one week later. I said, “Brother?” “Yes, you handled the retreat for all of us, brothers.” I was really caught by surprise but before I could refuse, which I supposed he anticipated, he assured me to provide the necessary materials plus a help from one of the brothers. Anyway, I said I’ll see what I can do. Actually, I was not excited about it. When I got home, I reflected and tried to gather my thoughts how to do it. In the end, I finally decided to say no. I immediately texted him that I can’t do it. He has to find someone better than me. Though he did not text back, I assumed he was busy looking for a replacement. Three days after, I received a note that I have to proceed to the president’s office. To my surprise, the secretary handed me a bulk documents that I can use for the preparation of the retreat. What??? It turned out that I texted the old number of the school president. Naturally, he didn’t receive it and thought I was ok. No more turning back this time. No time to look for another facilitator. In my panic, I tried to search for my old materials in giving retreat. I scanned some of the documents that were given to me. The more I panicked. I could not really conceptualize much until I came across an article of Bo Sanchez which talks about being a blessing expert. That was the cue and from there I proceeded to create a framework and eventually the modules. My next dilemma was how the brothers would receive this topic. I know they have attended past retreats and recollections. I might be repeating what they have already known or they might get bored. But I could not make a different module since time is running out. Besides, that is the only framework which I think I am comfortable with. Well, it turned out that the retreat was good. In fact, at the end of the retreat, the president, who happened to be the delegate superior of the brothers, said that retreat was one of the best retreats the brothers had. The whole retreat revolved around the idea of them being or becoming blessing experts. I led the brothers to reflect the countless blessings they have as religious brothers, both on the personal and communal levels. One old brother approached me during the course of the retreat that indeed his life is a life of blessings. He recalled how God abundantly blessed Him with so much that he felt unworthy of God’s unconditional love.

Well, what does it mean to be a blessing expert? First, an expert refers to a person who excels in a particular field. For example, if you talk about laws, lawyers are considered experts on the law. Doctors of medicines are experts on wellness. And the list goes on. Blessing expert? Obviously, it is a person who can easily identifies a blessing, even the minute one. According to Bo Sanchez, if we want to live a happy and fantastic life we need to discover first the blessings that we have. Next, look around and be ready to receive more blessings. The problem with a lot of people is their failure to recognize these blessings. Every time I start a recollection or retreat I usually ask this question, “what were the first words that came out from your lips the moment you wake this morning?” It is not a surprise to me that in a group of 40-60 participants, there will only be around 2 to 6 who will raise their hands. The rest? No. It is not our habit to thank the Lord every time we wake up every morning. Why? Because we fail to recognize the blessings that we receive right after we wake up. “Do you consider that the life you have today is a gift from God?” This time I receive a resounding chorus of “YES.” If life is considered as a big blessing, then it would be so easy for us to say “Thank you, Lord.” Have you ever noticed that if somebody gives us something like a gift, for example, we naturally respond with “thank you.” Why? It’s obvious. You receive something and you respond positively. Are you complaining about your job? Well, be thankful because you still have your job as God’s blessing. Do you find your kids noisy? Well, be thankful because your children are still with you. Someday they will leave you. You will miss their noise. Do you have a place to sleep tonight? That’s a great blessing. Some people have no shelter. Friends, we have so many blessings. You just have to open your eyes to see, your hands to receive. I was just talking about life as the first blessing we receive every time we wake up. What about the other blessings? If you enjoy reading this article, you are blessed because you can read. And, you can read because you still have the gift of life. Right? It’s amazing how blessed we are everyday.

It is not a question whether you are blessed or not. It is about recognizing and discovering the blessings that are already around. For instance, rich or poor, each is given the same number of hours a day. That’s a blessing. While others are more intellectual, we still have our brain which we can use to plan and set direction for our life. If you are still not convinced that you are blessed, try to count how many yes answers you have of the following questions: Do you still have your parents? Do you have children? Do you have friends? Have you gone to school? Have you met a friend lately? Is there someone that you love? Is there someone that loves you? Can you smile at people you will meet? Can you walk anywhere without fear? Can you read? Can you write? And the litany goes on….. But wait. Just one last question. Are you still alive? Be thankful. A good Christian is grateful. He/she is a blessing expert. May God bless you more. Randy