The Riches of Grace, in "Blessings" or Sorrow

I just consumed a bowl of raisin bran for an almost-midnight snack. Lovely!

Since it is almost midnight, it is also a perfect time for me to do some thinking and analyzing. Recently, a lot of things have changed in my life. I have started to rent my own apartment (with a great roomie of course!), bought my own furniture (for the first time in my life I'll be sleeping on a FULL bed, not just a twin!), and slowly had the realization that this is a "real" job, and this is my "new" life. I am so excited and nervous all at the same time that my emotions are in a whirlwind and I've fallen almost flat because my mind has so many intersections. What is is going to be like when I'm "on my own"? (Yes, at this point you can begin singing the beautiful song from Les Mis, I'll join right in.)

Something that has struck me as interesting in my thought process is the idea of being "blessed." I have struggled a lot with that term recently because I just don't know what people mean when they say it, to be honest. Do I even know what I mean when I'm saying it?

Some Christians who came through my line at Food Lion this summer would quickly pass a tract to me and tell me to "have a blessed day;" I've seen people cry "God bless America" loudly on the streets of NYC; and "I am blessed" is a tune that we could all get stuck in our heads...but are these terms one and the same? Do we really know what we're throwing around?

The scriptures speak often of the Lord's chosen as a "blessed people," but I don't think that means he gives them whatever they want (and when they have what they want, they call themselves "blessed" as if they did something worthy of being blessed). [If you go to studylight.org and do a search on "blessed people" or "chosen people," you're likely to come up with many verses.] Basically, we're not worthy of being blessed ever, and that's why it's called a blessing--it's a special favor or act of mercy to us--those who deserve no mercy--those who are chosen, because we could not choose right on our own. [Grace is so beautiful--how could I ever forget that His goodness really makes no sense because it is so undeserved on our part?]

What I'm saying is that we should not say we're blessed just when everything is fancy dancy. Of course I know I'm blessed to have a job and a new apartment and supportive friends and family and church, but what about the believers and people everywhere who have no job, no home, no community, no food? Are they cursed because they did something to deserve wrath for the day? I would like to say no, because the Lord's ways are so much higher than mine. And when I think about all that I have right now--this job, etc.--I realize how undeserving that I am. I am not entitled to anything that I've been given, and it doesn't make sense why I've been given these things right now; but for some reason, I have. And I will use them for His glory. My own fame is worthless in the sight of the brightness of The Light of the Son. And so, I am blessed when I am flying high or in the depths of despair. It still doesn't make perfect sense to me, but it never ceases to make me see how deep/wide/beautiful the riches of His grace are, even when we don't feel outwardly "blessed." Because the gospel is not about comfort and worldly riches. If it were, there would be no grace at all because we would have no need of it. So thanks be to God for the glory in which he shows himself through grace--whether it be in our outward blessings or the beauty of knowing that a soul is rich in Jesus. What else have we need of?

Thus, I hope to be more careful in the way that I view a blessing, because I'm blessed in beauty or ashes. Still, my soul will seek Jesus. I need nothing more.