Blessed

Today, I’d like to do a word study. 

Blessed. 

It’s a short word. Easy to say. No sounds to stumble on. But what does it really mean when I say that I feel blessed. 

Webster gives several definitions. I’m going to hone in on two:

1. of or enjoying happiness
2. bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

It’s easy to see why blessed is something we feel. Blessings are by their very definition something pleasant. 

As I purposely pulled out this particular cup today, I am also struck with the fact, that I don’t have to feel blessed to be blessed. 

Over the last year and a half, I have been surrounded by blessings. 

Tangible blessings like food, warmth, clothing. A working vehicle, a job to go to, coffee every morning. Phone calls. Dinners with friends. Hugs. Cards. Texts. Books to read. Trails to walk. Those very special students who come to me every single morning for a hug. Tangibles. 

And then there are the non-tangibles like friendship and caring. The ability to get up each morning and function. The will to not give up even when that might have been easier. The awakening in my heart each morning when I saw friends and students. The gift it was to emerge from desperate heartache. I could write these all day!

There were so many days that I didn’t feel the blessings. I got through each day the best I could. I survived. 

But the blessings . . . The blessings were there. They surrounded me. They kept me afloat. The blessings scratched the surface of my grief reminding me that I wasn’t alone. They protected me in so many ways. 

Today, as I sit here with my coffee, I’m focused on God’s blessings, His goodness, His grace. Today I feel blessed. Blessed beyond any earthy measure.