In our former churches we may have been led to believe that blessings were certain things–we might be blessed with health, finances, spouses, kids, or certain talents, for instance. What ways have you been blessed that may not have seemed like blessings at the time? Were you ever told you were NOT blessed in some way that actually for you was a blessing?
I think the primary blessing I received is probably the hardest–I had to leave my former church. Everyone, including me, thought leaving was the ultimate “bad” thing in life. But today I realize that this was the greatest blessing I could have received. It wasn’t fun… it was one of the hardest things I have ever done and that decision and the fall out from it continues to impact my life. Still, I am so thankful that I left when I did, and that I got out before the arrest of another member that later took place.
I’ve also laughed at things people told me were blessings–I was “blessed” with great jobs… no one knew I was making not much over minimum wage even with a college degree. They only saw the outside. They didn’t realize I ate so much pasta (it was cheap) that I still 20 years later can’t stand the thought of making it most of the time. Also, some said I wasn’t blessed like they were because I didn’t have a husband or kids… it sounded as though they were blaming me or looking down on me. At the same time I looked at what I could see of their lives and wondered at how they could even make it through another day with all the trials they seemed to have. We all deal with things differently. Comparing ourselves among ourselves isn’t wise.
The push to see blessings and cursings has disturbed me. What looks like a blessing from the outside may be a daily struggle for the person living it, and what may look like a curse may be a blessing in disguise. So to label something one way or the other might sometimes create a lot of heartache where there could be joy. Because you never know… and even the things that we see as bad could turn into blessings just because God can still create something out of nothing.
God can turn anything into a blessing regardless of what people think or say. What the devil meant for bad God uses it for good. After my husband left me so many thought my life was over including myself until God told me to pull up my bootstraps we had work to do. I moved, found a job and went back to college. lol Bree years later I graduated with my degree in accounting and was promoted at my firm and worked there as a tax accountant until I retired last year. I had been promoted to tax dept supervisor and was making a hefty salary. Of course I left the UPC church I’d been attending because of remarks made over the pulpit that my ministry was over or it was silly for an older woman to go back to school. Among other things. But God turned a horrible situation into a great blessing for me.
AMEN Cindy, I call those “Blessings in disguise ” ! And I have had many. Sometimes God has to put gravel in our nest to get us to move. Whether it is the right direction in which we move, is OUR choice.