What does it mean to be blessed?  Does it mean that you will be showered with happiness, goodness, riches, or success?  Does it mean you will always have a happy family, perfect health and all the best things life has to offer?  Does it mean that all your hopes and dreams will suddenly be fulfilled?  Then to follow this thread of logic, does this mean that those of us who don’t have everything perfect in life are not blessed? Did good luck somehow pass us by or is God’s love not shining down on us?

I think all of this is a matter of perspective.  We can look at all that we do have and see the beauty of it, or we can look at what we don’t have.  But it is in looking at what we do have, that we find joy and satisfaction in life.  It is in noticing all of the good and beautiful things in our life, that we feel gratitude and an appreciation of the many ways we are blessed.  To me, this is a blessing in and of itself.

It is in the quiet of the morning…in the wee hours before the world awakens… that I am keenly aware of all the blessings of my life.  I think of the good people in my life whose words and actions fill my life with joy.  I see the ways that I am cared for.  I see the many things that I have which make my life easier and more pleasant. I see the beauty of nature all around me.  These are some of the blessings for which I am grateful.  What are your first thoughts when you wake up in the morning? Do you have a moment to reflect on the blessings in your life? I find it helps to start my day in this way…

Blessed
By Krista Longeway

Before first light brightens the horizon
Its bright orange glow streaking across the sky
In a burst of colour, the morning sun
Lacing clouds with pink as it passes by 
Melting into the deep blues of the west

Before the first songbird’s wings are unfurled
Raising its head to begin a new song
Announcing first light to the sleepy world
A sweet invitation to sing along
Lifting our spirits at nature’s request

Before this, is a moment of quiet
As if the world is holding its breath and
Waiting for the arrival of first light
In the gentle hush that covers the land
There are just a few last moments of rest

It is in this moment that I awaken
To the whispered promise of a new day
All the fears of the night have been taken
A sense of peace washes it all away
And in this moment, I know I’ve been blessed