Several years ago I had the pleasure of working with a delightful man who whenever asked, “How are you?,” replied with sincerity and a happy grin, “Blessed and highly favored.”

I loved Calvin’s attitude and approach to life. He is a hard working husband, loving dad, excellent workmate, friend to many and a follower of Christ.

I recently googled the phrase “Blessed and Highly Favored” and found the explanation to be that God has His hands on us for His purposes citing Luke 1:28 when the angel Gabriel comes to Mary saying “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you.” No doubt the mother of Jesus was blessed and highly favored given her purpose on this earth.

The beauty of being blessed and favored by God is that Mary had not done anything out of the ordinary to receive her status.

Neither has Calvin except for living out his God-given purpose.

I failed to mention that Calvin has been blind for nearly all his life. If anything you might think he would hold a grudge against God but instead Calvin’s independence, resiliency, trusting nature and generosity are just four of many attributes that come out of his relationship with Christ.

Recognizing that each of us are “blessed and highly favored” should be an incentive for us to fully engage with Christ in our own self-discovery of purpose.

Thanks to your generosity, First Church provides many tools and experiences to help you in your quest.

This past Sunday we kicked off our 2023 Stewardship Campaign on with the theme “Created for a Purpose.”

Giving, one of the Healthy Plate Discipleship practices, is about being in relationship with Jesus Christ and putting God first in all things.

As you prayerfully consider completing your 2023 Commitment Card, please know that this action is an opportunity to express your gratitude born out of your loving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have questions about this year’s campaign or church finances please stop by the Stewardship table in Wesley Hall during the next 3 weeks or reach out to me during the week.

And the next time someone asks you “How are you?” be bold and answer “Blessed and highly favored.” And then go about living out your Christ-inspired purpose.

Together through Christ,

Nancy Fisher
Director of Stewardship