The Blessing Jar

​People often make resolutions with the start of the new year fast approaching.  Webster defines a resolution as a firm decision to do or not to do something.  About five years ago, I decided a resolution did not work well for me.  While I think it is important to make goals or to-do lists, I feel like sometimes a resolution can work backwards; for some people, all it does is remind them of the thing they did not accomplish or should be doing 

Tracee Dahm

instead.  I think the word promise is easier and gentler for a human to commit to, and yet a promise is defined strikingly like a resolution. “A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.” God gave us promises, over 7000 promises are in the bible concerning success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, and wisdom. Longing for something positive to start the new year off, I did some research and discovered an easy project called “The Blessing Jar.” 

​The Blessing Jar project works as follows:​

Step 1) Find some sort of container that will hold 52 small pieces of paper.
[I went to the dollar store and bought a plastic container with a lid.  The container sits on my mantle.]

Step 2) Each week you must write a “blessing” that happened to you on a piece of paper.
[I usually write my ‘blessings’ on post-it notes. The ‘blessings’ can be anything that you feel was a personal blessing.  There is no right or wrong answer.]
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Step 3) On New Year’s Eve you take all the post-it notes out of the blessing jar and read them. You can reflect on the past 365 days. You can give thanks to God for all that he has blessed you with in the past year.
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The first time I did the blessing jar was in 2020.  We had only lived in Idaho for a few months, and I was at an all-time low.  My optimism had been nearly drained completely.  There were a lot of changes going on in our household.  I was trying to adjust to a new state, find a new job, and get my family settled in Coeur d’Alene.  I had 3 little kids and no local friends, and I was emotional about everything.  Then to make matters worse, COVID-19 kicked in and what little of a new life we had established was completely turned upside down.  Throughout all those trials and tribulations, I kept pursuing my ‘blessing.’ Every week I would reflect and write one down.  Some weeks, it was easy to see some event that had blessed it; other weeks I had to think harder about it.  Sometimes, more than one blessing would happen in a week so I would write all the blessings on one piece of paper.  When New Year’s Eve in 2020 struck I truly enjoyed looking back on all the positive events that happened despite all the craziness of 2020.  Our ‘blessings’ that seemed so small and minute taking place each week added up to something big by the end of 2020.  My family and I read all the blessings of 2020 together on New Year’s Eve.  They also enjoyed reflecting on the past events of the year.  My family asked if we would have another blessing jar for 2021.  How could I say no?

The Blessing Jar is a project that every person in your family can participate in, either as an entire family or make everyone in their family have a private jar.  The first year, I participated in The Blessing Jar project I did privately.  If you know me, you know I’m a “the glass is half full” kind of girl.  I love sunshine, glitter, happiness, rainbows, etc. I will always find something to be optimistic about.  My husband likes to refer to my forever optimism as one of my best qualities.

Last year, in 2022, I had one of the most depressing years of my adult life.  In 2022, I mailed out 10 sympathy cards to 10 families who I was personally connected with.  All the deaths were completely unexpected.  One of those sympathy cards was to my parents as we buried my twin sister.  During the year 2022, I cried more tears than I could have ever imagined.  I checked myself into therapy. I stood in disbelief every time I got a phone call that someone, I really cared about was having to suddenly plan a funeral.  What I thought was a hard year in 2020, was a mere fraction of the depression and sadness I battled in 2022.  Despite everything, I kept my personal promise and wrote a ‘blessing’ down every single week during 2022.  Last New Year’s Eve, I was able to reflect on not only the sadness that occurred but also the many blessings that had still happened.  My jar of blessings saved me from further heartache.

With 2023 ending and 2024 almost here you may have been considering making a New Year’s resolution.  I would like to take the time to encourage anyone at First Pres to host a Blessing Jar in their home this year.  Your blessings can always stay privately between you and God.  He already knows the plans He has made for you.  Remember, sharing your blessings with someone may help to brighten their day.  However, you chose to welcome 2024, I hope it is a wonderful year.  May God bless you and your family with love, prosperity, good health, and happiness in the new year.
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Grace & peace,
Tracee