#Blessed

Blessed. We hear the word used on social media, in songs, movies and the list goes on. In the 2015 Western Conference Finals, during a post-game conference after the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets, Stephen Curry’s daughter sang “Way up, I feel blessed.” It’s a word that circulates around us and many people have different views of what it means to be blessed.

No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or mother, if it is both, he is twice blessed indeed. – Godfrey Winn

\ˈble-səd\  (1) having a sacred nature : connected with God. (2) very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated (Merriam-Webster)

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to be blessed is to be spiritual or gratifying. Considering this definition, there are many things that we consider gratifying but to be connected to God requires a certain nature.

I was blessed with certain gifts and talents and God gave them to me to be the best person I can be and to have a positive impact on other people. – Bryan Clay

When we show gratitude towards God for his blessings, we are acknowledging that we are  blessed. His blessings include the birth of a child, a flower in bloom, a new home, family, friends, food. However, there are blessings in disguise. Blessings that some would believe are curses.

When I lost my job in 2015 I did not feel like I received a blessing. Prior to being fired, I felt that my season was changing but I did not think it would happen the way it did. I tried to stay optimistic but thoughts of failure and disappointment clouded my judgement. The fear of the unknown devastated me. Instead of trusting God and believing He knew what was best, I wallowed in my insecurities.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. – Proverbs 3:5,6

I’d like to let you know that it is okay not to know everything. It’s okay not to have it all together. Eventually, I realized that I was never supposed to have all the answers in the first place but to have faith and trust that my God would take care of me.

As humans we attempt to perfect the areas of our lives through our ideals and worldviews. We attempt to pick up all the pieces and create a masterpiece through our own ability. However, we are not sufficient alone. God sent His Son to redeem us from our tainted state. We need His help.

Sometimes He puts us at a stand still so that we can acknowledge Him. We tend to lose our way when we don’t put our focus on Christ.  Accept that as a human you are capable of making mistakes. And that’s okay. Acknowledge your imperfect state. Ask God to improve you despite your flaws.

It is easy to become distracted by everything that surrounds us. Let us take the time to celebrate our state of being blessed. Let us cherish and savor the moments we have with those around us.

Here is a prayer that you can pray to God:

Dear God,

I acknowledge that I don’t have all the answers. I’ve made many mistakes (you can name them if you’d like). I need your guidance. Please direct me to your path. Show me your ways. Clean my heart and erase the stains. Thank you for your blessings; even those that I cannot see. Thank you for loving me even when I didn’t love myself. This is my moment and my time to live blessed. You lead me and I will follow. Connect me with people who also follow you. Show me how to enlighten those who don’t believe in you. Your Son died on the cross for me. He rose on the third day for me. I am blessed.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen