As In a Mirror

Today, I had to practice saying and believing that I am blessed.

When I woke up and immediately saw the things I had neglected in the rush of yesterday, I had to believe that I am blessed.

The laundry wouldn’t dry because of the humidity.
I felt sick to my stomach and totally inert because of the humidity and my soreness from working on the house. (We were supposed to continue that today, but after we got supplies, and hung some laundry, our bodies refused to cooperate.)
I looked again at the earwig dung in the cabinets holding our dishes and food in the garage.
I realized the container I filled with iced tea had a big crack in the bottom corner.
I shouted at the flies and fruitflies.
I sighed again at the filthy windows (we are so going to shine those once the kitchen is back together.)
I put dishes away at 9:30 at night and heard critters making ruckus directly above the deteriorating drop ceiling in the garage, and prayed, “Oh, Lord, please let that be mice and not bats.”
I was so glad to take a shower at the end of the day; then I dried myself with a towel that smelled like mildew.

At 9:00 at night, I was on my way out to the garage when I noticed the basement door was open a crack. I quickly closed it, and went to see if the cat was still sleeping in the living room. No see. I asked, “Where’s Livvy?” Nobody knew, so I told Mom, “The basement door was open.”
“Oh no.”
Mom immediately got everyone together to start looking for her, while I went down into the basement to look. I called for her and looked around. No sign of her down there. But the doors leading outside were still open! I looked out those doors and two things struck me: “I don’t hear anyone saying they’ve found her yet. And I don’t have a flashlight with me!” I stood for a brief moment wondering what to do next. Then I turned and in the corner of my eye I saw a shadow move. I thought it must belong to the cat who lives in the basement so I called him. And then I saw the eyes of that creature.

“Livvy!”

What can your heart do but skip at such a moment? I scooped her up immediately and two more realizations hit me: Those doors were wide open and it’s pitch black outside; there is no exterior lighting and I didn’t have a flashlight. Second, the basement door was barely open and I just happened to notice it that moment. Third, I barely saw a shadow in the corner of my eye. All this flashed through my mind as I scooped her up and said, “Thank You, Jesus.” She’s saved.

In the midst of all of this, I am blessed. Not because of the circumstances, but in the midst of them. God says I am blessed. He does not say that the earwig dung or the flies or the sick feeling or the family of unknown critters is my blessing, but He says I am blessed because I will be comforted. He says I am blessed if I keep His ways. He says I am blessed if I am gentle, peaceable, and compassionate. He says I am blessed if I crave for righteousness.

Jesus says that those who are lowly in spirit and grieving in heart are blessed. Does He say that their blessing is to be lowly and grieving? No; He says that their blessing is that they possess the kingdom of God and that they will be comforted forever.

And today was really a good day; but the basic little things like the constant earwig dung and the filthy windows, etc. etc. just build up their punch day by day. But– I am blessed!

My heart grieves, my spirit is lowly, and my body is weary, but my family is safe; my cat is safe; my soul is safe; I have food and clothing; I shall be content. I have a bed to sleep in and a roof to sleep under. I have electric lighting; I have running water; I have my Bible which I can study to my heart’s delight; I have many other books (I guess it doesn’t matter that I lack the time to read them!) I have a guitar and I know how to use it. I have a refrigerator. I have hope– I have every spiritual blessing!

I am most blessed in the natural realm by the beautiful, godly people in my life, I think. It’s a benefit that not everybody has. My family loves me, even when I’m totally nuts!

I have the freedom, unlike many other Christians, to meet with fellow believers to praise God and study His Word. Lots of people all over the world suffer very much just to assemble together to build one another up.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

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