I recently heard a story that I thought was really funny. A woman had three grown sons and they all wanted to do something special in celebration of her 60th birthday. They realized that their mother had made significant sacrifices to raise them and meet their needs as they were growing up. Her sons were all doing well financially, so they wanted to share with her.

The oldest son said to his two brothers, “I just bought a house for Mom’s birthday. It’s exactly what she’s always wanted for her dream home.”

The middle son responded, “I got her a brand new Porsche that she is going to love. It’s got every fetaure possible.”

The third son took a different approach. He told his brothers, “You know how mom loves to read the Bible, so I got her a parrot that can recite any verse from the Bible. It’s a very expensive bird that was trained for 12 years to be able to do this.”

The mother’s birthday soon came and she received a wonderful gift from each of her sons. She wrote a short note to each of them to show her gratitude. The note to the first son said, “Thanks for the house, it’s wonderful. I never thought I would have such a beautiful home.”

To the second son she wrote, “Thank you for the car. It’s just great to be able to have a dependable vehicle and one that is so nice. I couldn’t imagine having that wonderful of a vehicle ever in my life.”

The mother’s note to the youngest son said, “Thanks for the chicken. I really enjoyed the meal.”

Well, that lady just did not see that parrot for what it really was, did she? Sometimes we do that. We just do not see things for what they really are. I wonder how many blessings we have missed because we did not have the right perspective, or perhaps we were not waiting expectantly to see the blessings.

In Luke chapter 2, there’s a story about a man named Simeon. He had been promised by God that he would not die until he had seen the coming Messiah. Jesus was born, and eight days later when Mary and Joseph took Him into the temple, Simeon was waiting there.

Simeon knew right away that this was the child he had been waiting for. Simeon praised the Lord with great joy and said “As you said, I can now go in peace.”

Simeon had been waiting with great anticipation to see that Messiah, a blessing from God. This makes me wonder how many times I may have missed out on a wonderful blessing from God because I wasn’t ready or waiting.

I challenge you as you go through this week to ask God each day, “God, help me to see what you have for me. Help me not to miss the blessing. Help me to see things for what they really are in Your sight and recognize Your goodness and Your greatness.” I guarantee if you will do that, you will see blessings like you have never seen before.

Dr Ann Shorb has extensive experience working with a diverse client base as a Biblical counselor. In addition she also does professional speaking and writing. Her website includes several puppet skits that she has written for use in children’s ministry.