Blessed.

What does it really mean to be "blessed?" I have been pondering this question a lot lately. As a Christian, I often find myself praying for God to bless this person or that person, or I'll say or write "God bless you" to someone. I even find myself a tad offended at times when I sneeze and none of my boys chooses to "bless me." But what does this really mean? What do we expect God to do when we ask him to bless us? Do we see ourselves as blessed when we get somewhere on time, or when we have extra money in the bank, or a nice house or car, or a happy marriage, or healthy kids, or have a 2 yr. old who goes poopy on the potty?


I am no bible scholar, but I do believe that God's word tells us that he wants to bless his children. He wants to bless us. Wikipedia is not totally biblically sound of course, but I thought it interesting that it defines a blessing as "the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one's hope or approval." I think that God longs to bless our circumstances, even in our finite earthly terms, but He first and foremost wants us to believe Him for it, and in doing that we have no choice but to draw nearer to Him...truly seeking God (& his will) in all things.

I read recently (in the book Wild Things) that I should raise my boys to learn to not only accept dissappointments, failures, and outright terrible experiences in their lives, but count them as blessings...for they will shape their character. The struggles and pain will teach them about redemption and restoration. That's hard to swallow. Of course Tom & I don't want pain for our children...but the outcomes and character refinement we do want. This has caused me to ask myself if I often thank God for the struggles as much as the good things? Do I see a broken relationship, illness and even death as a blessing? I'm not saying it's not okay to feel things or grieve, but maybe we just need to realize that we do not see things the way God does. I think there are so many things in this life that remain a mystery of the Lord. I am not at all claiming to say that God sits up in heaven and seeks out people to "zap" with bad circumstances because they need to learn a lesson. But I do believe that he intertwines everything that happens like a beautiful tapestry--for our good and ultimately to give him the glory. (Rom. 8:28)


I want to count everything a blessing--the good, the bad, the ugly--God is sovereign over all of it. I don't want to avoid pain and struggle at all costs, or teach my kids to do that. I still believe it is right and okay to desire "good blessings" for ourselves and others, and to believe that God can and will bless us that way, for that is His desire as well.

To be "infused with holiness," now I think that would be to be blessed indeed!