Blessings

i asked you about blessings,

and one would think you might say

blessings are when everything’s going your way.

basket-woven cornucopias brimming bounty from rich soil;

towering stacks of dollars from meaningful toil;

just the right number of quiver-full offspring

who learn easily, behave, and perform athletically;

rosy-glowed cheeks and the fountain of youth;

blessed by God for performance—but that’s not truth.

you said you were blessed by a disorder with eating

that drew you closer to the Lord in your needing

to learn to rely on His strength and unique timing;

loss of job; divorce; a child born with disabilities;

protection while waiting for a spouse with sensibilities;

family pulled closer when a loved one is dying;

opportunities to serve from experiences trying;

community support; babies in heaven; and family-like friends.

our God redeems—that Good News will not end.

I threw together this poem after spending several weeks chewing on what I really believe about blessings, and casting out a net on my Facebook account asking friends about their unlikely blessings. In his essay The History of the Word "Makarios," Brian Stoffregen says, “... Matthew's beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) are not practical advice for successful living, but prophetic declarations made on the conviction of the coming-and-already-present kingdom of God.”

"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." — Matthew 5:3

How can God redeem all of our blessings—bountiful and unlikely—as we live in this kingdom? Jump in and find out as we continue to study in this Lenten season at Grace Church.

Teresa Cornett's favorite question from others is "what do you think about......?!" so she loves to write when she gets a chance to mouth off.