Blessed

Blessed.  
We hear it all the time. 
"I am so blessed to have this." 
"She is so blessed to have done that." 
"Bless you." 
"Bless your dear heart." 
And my all time favorite, "Bless her heart,..."  You know what always follows that. 

But what does it mean?  What does it really mean to be blessed?  What does the word "blessed" really mean? 

The word bless, and other various forms of it, appears in the Bible 522 times.  And yet, many of us could not give a clear definition of its meaning. 

Webster says this:

1. Give a benediction to; "The dying man blessed his son".[Wordnet] 2. Confer prosperity or happiness on.[Wordnet] 3. Make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate.[Wordnet] 4. Render holy by means of religious rites.[Wordnet] 5. To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate.[Websters] 6. To make happy, blithesome, or joyous; to confer prosperity or happiness upon; to grant divine favor to.[Websters] 7. To express a wish or prayer for the happiness of; to invoke a blessing upon; -- applied to persons.[Websters] 8. To invoke or confer beneficial attributes or qualities upon; to invoke or confer a blessing on, -- as on food.[Websters] 9. To make the sign of the cross upon; to cross (one's self).[Websters] 10. To guard; to keep; to protect.[Websters] 11. To praise, or glorify; to extol for excellences.[Websters] 12. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.[Websters] 13. To wave; to brandish.[Websters] 14. Base verb from the following inflections: blessing, blessed, blesses, blesser, blessers, blessingly and blessedly.[Eve - graph theoretic]

Its been on my mind a lot lately.  I've heard it all of my life, but for some reason, I've been contemplating its actual meaning.

Many times we use it in reference to material objects, such as a person is blessed because they have nice things, or even one nice thing.  Or a home.  Or a wonderful family.  But what about the Christians in the world who have nothing?  Are they blessed?  If you asked them, I bet they would say yes. 

I remember a time when I thought that a person who had it all, had it all together, must be really blessed, and the Lord must be showing favor on them.  And it was something I strived for. 

But not anymore.  After all we have been through in our short (nearly) ten years of marriage, I would say I am utterly blessed.  

And I definitely don't have it all together. 

We've experienced loss of babies who never got to be held in our arms, but will always be in our hearts.
We've experienced loss of loved ones.
We've had financial difficulty. 
We've been uprooted too many times to count for ministry.
We struggle and wonder if we are doing the right things for our children.
We wonder what is next?
I've wondered how much control God has in this world.
I've questioned his plan for our lives.
I've doubted my own capabilities to handle what we've been through.
I wonder why God allowed me to have these three beautiful children.
I wonder often how I'll survive another day!

And yet through all of this, I've come to the other side knowing that no matter what happens, I will serve the Lord.  I trust that my life is in His hands.  And I am blessed.  Beyond all measure.  

I am blessed because I have hope and joy, independent of my outward circumstances.  I have found the place from where it comes, Jesus, and I will follow him, no matter the cost.  


What does the word "blessed" mean for you?  How have you experienced it in your life?

Hop over to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers and see what others are sharing about God's provision and care.