A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?”

“I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied.

“Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

As embarrassed as this mother must have been with her daughter’s parrot words, I’m sure everyone at the table recognized the effort and hard work that this lady had been through all day preparing for their evening together.  It would have been so much easier to withhold the dinner invitations and just relaxed with her family.

Then again, she would have missed the blessing of fellowship and special friendship that comes with having people into your home, sitting at your table and partaking in a meal that you lovingly made for them.
Most often the biggest blessings come with a measure of hard work, sacrifice and possibly even suffering.

A new baby. Building a home. A free country. A new kidney.

Even in her exhaustion of preparing her home for company and making a special meal, this lady is setting herself up for blessing.  With some work and sacrifice (big or small) you too can set yourself up for blessing.