Blessed
In my newsletter, I would like to talk about the word blessed. According to Google, blessed means: divinely or supremely favored or fortunate. Now that you know the definition, would you say that you feel blessed? Many people may hesitate when answering this question because their lives have not always been ideal and therefore it’s hard to see the good things. However, to overcome the unfavorable conditions, we must rise above the circumstances and change our thinking while recognizing the areas that are blessings! Some may say, but my home life was not what I anticipated, or my career path is not what I thought it would be or even say that my pay is not what I deserve. These obstacles are all things that can lead us from seeing the value of the things we have been given. Whatever the reason that leads people to pause when asked about their blessings, I can totally understand the hesitation. Life can be hard at times but we can make the best of it, if we try. Let me explain - If we are proactive and strive to be more positive while being grateful, the chances of finding blessing increase - but that is only if we look hard enough. Scholar Charles Spurgeon states it this way; “It is not how much we have, but how much joy that makes happiness.” This quote is spot on- the blessings are there we just have to notice them. A perfect example was yesterday, as we celebrated Mother’s Day-during the course of the day, I was able to reflect on many of those blessings. In the morning when I woke up, I began to look around and thought about all that surrounded me. As I was cleaning up the house, I realized that I was blessed to have a roof over my head. As I drove to church, I thought about the blessing I had been given by having a vehicle to get me places. As I entered the church, I thought about the freedom I have in this country to worship. As I came home to prepare for a family get together, I thought about the blessing of food, family and fellowship. The list could go on and on, but as you can see there are areas we can relate to in one way or another because regardless of our circumstances or our situations, we can always find blessings and be grateful. So the next time you find yourself grumbling about life, will you join me and change your mindset and see how blessed your really are?
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3
Chaplain Tracey Burns
Reflection Questions
⦁ Would you say you struggle with finding areas where you are blessed?
⦁ Will you re-direct your thought process and look for specific in your life where you have been blessed?
⦁ How can you be a blessing to others today?
Bonus: Great song (if you are interested) - Can you say “I’m so blessed?