Blessings

Not everyone feels that they've been blessed.
Some people know they've been blessed and feel that they didn't deserve any of those blessings.
Some people know they've been blessed and feel that they darn well deserved those blessings.
And then there are others who are blessed and instead of considering their worthiness - or lack of - they simply accept the blessing.

But sometimes blessings don't look like blessings.

Sometimes blessings look like tragedies.

What we forget sometimes, though, is that we are not the only ones affected by those tragedies.
How we react, how we persevere, how we are through a tragedy either glorifies God or pushes people away from Him.
And - if we weather the trial well by relying on His strength, and not our own - that tragedy becomes a blessing for someone else.
We may or may not have "deserved" it.
But is that really the point?
We are but vapors.
Who are we to argue with God?

We often ask God to use us for His glory.
And sometimes when He does, it hurts.
Sometimes it doesn't.
But like Job said, should we really only accept the good, but not the bad?
And unlike Job, we have the Holy Spirit.
We have a hotline to God.
And if He brings you into a storm, wouldn't it be foolish for us to believe He won't lead us out?

Blessings are gifts.
We have to remember that.
But we also need to remember that while blessings are gifts, those gifts may not be for us.