Blessings

"A sense of blessedness comes from a change of heart, not from more blessings."

-Mason Cooley

    I always think about happiness in life and what causes me to be truly happy. I realize that I am happy because I recognize my blessings. When I see the things that I have in my life that are excess, the things that I don't need, but that I have, it makes me grateful, humble, and happy.
    For some of us, we don't have excessive commodities and luxuries beyond our wildest dreams, but everyone, from every walk of life, can be grateful. Growing up, I did not have all of the fancy things that other kids had at school, but I wasn't alone. That was a blessing to know that other kids experienced what I experienced. There were times that I hated the fact that I lived in a trailer, but at least I had shelter, when so many others struggled to keep warm. That was a blessing.
    I know that the glass half empty/glass half full analogy is over used, but do you ever look at the fact that there might be one drop of water in the glass and recognize it as a blessing? So what? You don't have nice clothes or nice cars or nice houses or maybe no house at all, but do you look and think- I have a beautiful child, I have love, I have shelter from the storm, I have a job (even though the pay and hours are undesirable).....it's not always about viewing the glass as half full or half empty, it's about recognizing that at least there is water in the glass. At least there is that one small drop to wet your tongue when all else is gone.
    Not everyone who will read my blog will believe in God or the Bible to be the word of God, but regardless of beliefs, it is a great literary work with heroes, wars, sacrifice and love. So if you don't believe in the Bible or God or you think it's false then just read the following story as a literary work of fiction and not one of truth- because I know that the Bible contains the words and works of Jesus the Christ and God his father, but it is still a great story without faith and knowledge that it is historically accurate and true.
    One story that I would like to tell from the Bible is that of Job (Joe-b) who loses everything he has and faces excruciating pains and health problems, but doesn't blame God or the world for his problems, he simply looks at the only thing he has left which is his troubled life and recognizes that God gave him everything he had including his life and if God see it fit to take those blessings away then he had all right to do so.
    Job was wealthy and had mansions and many children who were also rich. Job recognized the hand of God for giving him everything he had, but Satan felt that if Job weren't so rich and were really tempted and tried, that he would blame God and fail his faith. Satan was allowed to cause Jobs houses to fall and crush his children (consistent with an earthquake)- yet he praised God for knew that his family would be in the Lord's rest. Satan, felt that enough had not been done to test Job and that by physically inflicting him, he might turn against the Lord and Satan would win. Satan was allowed to cause large Boils to cover every inch of Job's body. Job never speaks against the Lord even through his mourning.
    And here is my favorite part: Job's friend that comes to mourn with him says "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty:" and he continues to tell him that God will rescue him for his faithfulness.
   Let me point out that this is a man who has lost EVERYTHING. He has lost his land, his houses, his servants, his children, and now his health. This man has no water left in his cup-not even a drop. Even in the depths of despair Job never gives  up and he is always optimistic that God will rescue him and he sees his blessings as his friends, and his life.
   Just remember that while we may never experience extreme trials such as Job's, we face our own trials and tribulations on a daily basis. If we focus on the things that are lost or the things we don't have, then how can we be grateful for the blessings that surround us?
   From a shelter bed, to a trailer bed, to a house bed to a hospital bed- find one blessing- find one drop in your cup. And thank whatever powers you believe in for having that one precious drop of water. That one thing may be the difference between finding joy and being grateful for happiness, and a deep despair that leaves us bitter and lonely.
   The choice is ours. We can choose to be happy and grateful and recognize what we have in life, even if it's only one good thing, or we can choose to be sad, lonely, depressed, and all but give up on our search for happiness in this life- but you choose.

I am grateful for many things in my life. I am grateful for my friends who make this life worth it, for my husband who is my rock and source of all the laughter in my life, for Christ who is the ultimate source of happiness in my life and who has seen me through the loneliest and darkest periods that I have faced, for a nice house to be living in, and for the job that I have when so many others are facing unemployment.

I am blessed in life. I have more that I could ask for in my life and I hope that you can find the blessings in yours.

Be happy and remember to love,

~The Little Green Girl