Overtaking Blessings

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Deut. 28)

“And all these blessings shall come upon you, and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. (Deut. 28:2)

“Kayla,” I said gazing incredulously at my 10 year old granddaughter, “When did you write all these poems?”

“Oh, at school,” she replied nonchalantly.

“They’re wonderful,” I exclaimed, “I love them!”

“Well,” she responded, warming to my enthusiasm, “I’m writing a longer story now. It’s about an ice skater who has had a bad fall and is nervous about starting to skate again.”

“May I read it?” I asked.

“Sure….. but,” she added looking around warningly, “please not out loud.”

There was a teenage brother in the room looking harmless enough as he watched ESPN. However, I understood. Most of us writers feel just like that about our work. Is 98% of what we say garbage? Are people going to look at our stuff and laugh their heads off?

As I read about Shannon, the ice skater, my heart rejoiced. Each page pulled me into the next. “Kayla,” I lamented, “How can I go back to Wisconsin and not know how this story ends?”

“I’ll send it to you when it’s done,” she responded reassuringly.

What a blessing for a grandmother to read her grandchild’s talented writing! We see these great bends in our children and grandchildren and they are incredible blessings. They surprise us and overtake us. They are gifts from God.

In today’s reading, the nation of Israel is given the beginning of Moses’ third message to them. He predicts what will happen to Israel in the future. I love the concept that their obedience to God’s standards will result in blessings that will overtake them. His blessings will chase after them and literally run them down.

Did they obey God? Yes, at first, but.... well, we'll just have to keep reading to see what happens in God's great story of the nation of Israel.

This morning I called Kayla and asked, “Are you poems copyrighted or may I publish one on my blog?”

“Of course,” she responded cheerily, “Which do you want to post?”

“Turquoise,” I said. “It reflects the prolific blessings of your favorite color.”

Here it is, a poem lavish with God’s overtaking blessings, written by a fifth grade girl who has noticed them.

The Life of the Color Turquoise

Turquoise…

Is born in a clear sky

Makes me feel joyful, serene, thoughtful

Feels like a pillow, water, a flower petal

Looks like the sky, a morning glory, water

Is my friend because it makes me calm, alive, thoughtful

Smells like birthday cake, fresh air, a flower

Behaves peacefully, gently, joyfully

Tastes like fresh air, icing

Sounds like birds chirping, breezes blowing

Dies when the sun sets and darkness enters

Kayla

God is chasing us down with His overtaking blessings. Will you, like Kayla, watch for them today? Look behind you, look above you, look around you. They are everywhere.

Oh, stay tuned for Kayla’s future blog address!