Blessed

This morning I was driving in my car, crying and listening to a beautiful story of a mother and a son on the radio. I wasn't sure if it was the Holy Spirit grabbing a hold of my heart or my fragile emotions awaiting the arrival of "Aunt Flo", but my heart was touched. It was as if my heart was filled with water. Someone grabbed it and squeezed as hard as they could, and the water had no choice, but to flow out through my eyes as tears. The mother spoke about the life of her son, and how he passed at a young age. It automatically made me think of a dear friend of mine who has recently lost her son. Sadness filled me up instantly. The mother kept saying how "blessed" she was to have had him in her life. The word "blessed" came flowing out of her mouth over and over again like a wave that keeps crashing onto the shore. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. I dried my eyes, parked the car and headed in for work.

The past few weeks or more, I have been stressed to the max. I have been trying to control my life, and I have been telling God what my plans should be. I've been mapping my life out trying to make things perfect. You know God won't allow that. I have NOT been using the word "blessed". My words have been more like "why", "how", "what", and "it's not fair". I have been mad. I have been complaining. I have been a spoiled little brat. Wow. How ungrateful I have been!

I am always amazed when people who are going through rough times can say that they are blessed. I am reminded of a precious lady in Mexico. I used to call her "My Mexican Grandma". She was always at the church working so hard for the Lord. Sometimes I was not able to understand a word she spoke to me, but I could feel her love that she had for me. One Sunday she invited me to her house for lunch. I arrived to her door and saw chickens pecking around the yard and a goat tied to a tree. I walked into her house and saw four make-shift beds in the first room. The floor was made of dirt and patches of concrete. There were four more make-shift beds in the second room. Eight beds in two very small rooms with ten people living there. It seemed there was no privacy. She led me to the kitchen which was about as big as my bathroom. We sat down at a small plastic table. She made me sit down in the only chair in the house while she used a bucket to sit on. The roof was a hand-me-down tin roof with holes all over it. You can tell where it was used on another house because the holes were where nails used to be. Many buckets were sitting around in case it were to rain. She fed me a delicious lunch of gorditas. I remember that we had good conversation, but I learned a new word that day. I lied to her in politeness and said, "I like your place." She looked around and said, "Bendito." Bendito means blessed. I was forever changed that day. What happened to me? How could I forget this moment? How could I be so absorbed with "the world" and act like a spoiled brat?

Romans 10:12 "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile -- Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him."

This has been me lately...
Lord, I'm calling on You!!! I call on You day and night!!! Can you hear me?!? Do I have the wrong number?!? You are not blessing me like I want You to!!!

Throughout the day, I pondered the story of the mother and son, My Mexican Grandma and the way I've been acting here lately. My family was getting together for dinner for my Mama's Birthday. Before we left, I decided to say a little prayer...
Lord, Please open my eyes to see You in my life. Help me to see You work in my life. Help me to see the blessings You have given me. Please change my attitude.

I looked up the definition for "Blessed" before we left because I am weird like that.
Blessed - highly favored, fortunate, or enjoying the bliss of heaven.

We arrived at Famous Dave's and started enjoying each others' company. Before I knew it, I felt the waves of blessings beating up against the shore. My heart was overjoyed. Each wave would come in faster, bigger and strong. My eyes were open, and I saw the waves...Food - Blessed. Laughter - Blessed. Family - Blessed. Love - Blessed. I looked around and thought, "I AM highly favored with God. I AM fortunate. I AM enjoying the bliss of heaven. I AM Blessed."

Please don't be like me and get caught up in "the world." Open your eyes...You too are Blessed.