I Am Blessed.

Blessed. What does that even mean?

When Hugh was first diagnosed with diabetes, that word was thrown out a lot.

You are so blessed you caught it in time.

What a blessing that he was not sicker than he was.

It’s a blessing that it’s not something worse.

All of these sentiments were given with the best intentions, but to be honest, it did not help much at the time. Really? I’m blessed that my son has diabetes? What a blessing that he has to get 4 shots every day for the rest of his life? Is he really blessed now that he has a chronic disease that must be managed carefully every day with the threat of death looming over his head if it is not?

In the South, the word blessed runs a tight race with the word y’all when it comes to how often it is used. “Lord Bless you!” can be a greeting or a departure. “God Bless you” is the only acceptable way to excuse someone’s sneeze. “What a blessing!” is said for precious new babies or in some cases, rowdy little boys, when there is really nothing else to be said about them and the mischief they cause. And “Bless his heart” is the appropriate way to end a story about someone when the story has not been flattering or told with good intentions (i.e., He just can’t seem to hold down a job with his drinking problem and all the weight he has gained lately – Bless his heart.)

But lately, I’ve been thinking about the word blessed and what it truly means. Who am I to say that I am blessed and someone else is not? Am I blessed because I live in America and was not born in another country? Does God not shine his favor down on someone born in Brazil or Canada? When I say I am blessed, is that saying that I did something right and others did not? Is that really my intention? Look at me and see what wonderful things God has done for me. You people who are divorced, struggling from paycheck to paycheck, and drive a broken down car must not be as blessed as I am.

Look at me. My children are happy and healthy.

Until the day my son wasn’t healthy anymore.

Did I stop receiving God’s blessings that day?

I will be honest, there are some days that I think I did. Some days I feel like God turned his back on me when Hugh was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That his favor no longer was shining on me and my family. And those days are really hard.

But then there are days like this:

And these kinds of days happen much more often than the bad days. These are the days where Hugh is running and playing and laughing and I realize God is Good. There is sunshine and happiness and no tears and lots of hugs and kisses and I can feel the blessings heaping one on top of the other deep down in my soul. And I know that I am blessed. And so are you. And so are the people who are divorced, living paycheck to paycheck, driving a broken down car. And so are the cancer patients receiving chemo treatments and so are the elderly couples no longer able to leave their homes and so are the hurting and suffering and seeking.

We are all blessed because we are God’s children. And he shines his favor down on all of us, without exception. We just have to know that it is there.