Have you ever felt blessed in the mess? Join me as I recount finding one of my most recent blessings!
Tennies, boots and Birks oh my! an unexpected blessing…
My entryway was a minefield of footwear. Ten young men made our house their home for a weekend of celebration, camaraderie and cold weather events. The University of Okoboji Winter Games was in full swing and my son’s friends came to break up the monotony of winter with a first-time experience of outdoor races, games and fireworks.
As I surveyed the shambles of shoes, I was not stressed, I was smiling.
I realized that each pair of those shoes represented a friend my son had made at college. Each one reminded me that when he heads back after the weekend he’s not alone. Every pair is a symbol of love of a brother in Christ that is there to help my son as he faces the challenges of school and football.
That made me smile.
BLESSED ARE THEY WHO MOURN
In church on Sunday the gospel reading was Matthew 5:3-12.
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-12
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I had heard the reading many times but this time something different stuck out to me. Our priest said the translation of the word “blessed” is actually “happy.” One Beatitude that seems hard to digest with this in mind is “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The translation would be “Happy are they who mourn.” He explained that while we are never “happy” when we are mourning, happiness comes from having someone to mourn. If we had not had the experience of loving people, we would not have the reaction of mourning them when they were gone. Those who do not actively love others do not mourn their passing.
CHOOSE TO SEE the BLESS in the mess
It’s really a matter of perspective that God laid out perfectly in the Sermon on the Mount. We can be meek, mourning or persecuted and still be happy. If we choose to view each of those as weaknesses, we will not see the blessing. If we choose to see the blessing, we will have happiness.
In what area of your life are you struggling to see the blessing?
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