I Am Blessed!

It is raining here in Connecticut, again. I have not been able to mow my lawn for three weeks now. The temperature is finally beginning to cool down too. I have been waiting and waiting for fall temps to arrive so I could start wearing sweatshirts, light jackets and sweaters. I love fall temperatures. It is funny though. I grumble about the heat of summer. Every time the air conditioner kicks on, I picture the meter on the side of my house spinning like a top and dread my next Eversource bill. Now that it is cool, I should be happy. However, I find myself stressing about when I should turn on the furnace. I am trying to hold out as long as I can, because I have heard oil is going to be very expensive this winter.

The only thing consistent about both of these situations is the reality that we do love to complain. Electric bill. Oil bill. Hot summers. Cold winters. Drought. Rain. I know plenty of friends and family who fled the dreaded New England winters and headed down south. Now in the Sunshine State they grumble about how Florida is not the utopia they thought it would be and how hot it is all the time. I’m not sure what it is, but we seem to enjoy whining and complaining. In fact, whenever you ask someone, “How are you?” More often than not the response is, “As best as can be expected.” “Hanging on.” “Getting by.” “Can’t complain (though that is exactly what they’re doing, really).  Besides, no one would listen if I did.” Occasionally, we get a sarcastic, “Living the dream.” Why is that? It is as if everyone is looking for sympathy of some sort. 

Do we really need sympathy? We live in the most amazing country the world has yet known. We have food, shelter, amazing advances in medicine and treatment, transportation, and electronic technology galore! Smartphones, flat-screen TV’s, surround sound, network broadcasts and streaming platforms, computers, laptops, and tablets. My car even warns me if I stray out of my lane so I won’t get into an accident. We can pray and worship without fear, in person or online. And, most importantly, we have a God who loves us beyond understanding. Even though we continue to mess up on a daily basis. We are blessed! We truly are! Even when we might be having a tough day, we are blessed. Even when someone or something disappoints us, we are blessed! We need to do better remembering that truth and rejoice!   

As David writes in Psalm 146,

“…joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly” (Psalm 146:5-8). 

God keeps every promise. He lifts us up. He loves the godly. You do not need sympathy, my friends, any more than I do. We need to let our light shine! We are living in an amazing time and serve an amazing God! Let people know that! When someone asks you, “How are you?” Don’t answer, “As best as can be expected.” “Hanging on.” “Getting by.” No! Say, “I AM BLESSED!” That will catch them completely off guard. When they ask why, you can respond, “Because I love God and know He loves me. Cares for me. Forgives me and will never let me down!” Yeah. Never mind Covid, or inflation, or even the cold rain that has come for a visit this week. I AM BLESSED! And, SO ARE YOU!              

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Remember to email your praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. We lift them up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.