In last week’s In Partnership With God, I wrote about the blessings we receive from people, and failed to focus on the fact that the source of all blessing is God.

What came to my mind, when I realized what I had done, was when Jesus healed the 10 lepers and “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. And he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:15-18. God has been the source of all blessing for Deerfoot Lodge, for each of us. Last week I focused on the blessings given by God’s people – not the original source of all blessing.

How could I fail to remember “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain? Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Psalm 127:1-2

Most Deerfooters seek to “Trust in the LORD with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding; in all their ways they have sought to acknowledge Him, and rightfully expected Him to direct their path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 altered. God has directed the paths of the staff members who come, the campers who come, sometimes through the encouragement of people at church, or kids at school, or a parent’s employer. God has directed the paths of those who give to enable Deerfoot Lodge to seek “to build godly young men in a Christ-centered community through wilderness camping.”

Apart from God’s blessing, how else can we explain that, in the middle of the night, nurse Linda Lankford, looked out of the upstairs window in the Health Center – the window at the opposite end of the building from where she slept, and saw the small flame in the kitchen which resulted from a broken butane pipe when a bear crashed through the window and knocked the gas toaster off the counter? If the dining hall had burned down…campers and staff would have had to go home.

Apart from God’s blessing, how could DL have its incredible staff, summer after summer? Why have there been no abusive staff members? Why no serious van accidents when young drivers drive campers over 350 trips each summer?

God has been merciful. Let us PRAISE GOD, FROM WHOM ALL BLESSING FLOW.

How has God blessed you? How have you responded?

Writing these two IPWG’s has caused me to think, I promise.

“Count your blessings, Name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, See what God has done.”
— Edwin Excell