You've all seen them. The social media posts titled #Blessed. They run the gamut from the genuine to the, well, not so genuine. Have you seen the hilarious videos poking fun at us Christians titled with the same hashtag? You would think with all the jokes about #Blessed the serious social media posts would have dwindled by now. Nope. Still plenty of #Blessed people out there.
We love our blessings, don't we? What do you think of when I say 'blessing?' Cars, houses, jobs, new outfits, children? Healthy children, am I right? Don't get me wrong, I am so blessed by the good health of my other children. I do not take it for granted. Count me #Blessed.
But what about our unhealthy kids? Do you think of unhealthy children as blessings? If we are blessed to have healthy children all across the social media, does that make me unblessed to have an unhealthy kid? Oh, please, hear this ... We are still #Blessed even with unhealthy kids! Get on your Facebook and Twitters and Instas and tell the world. You are #Blessed to have an unhealthy child.
Psalm 127:3 "Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord."
Do you see anywhere in this verse where it says only healthy children are a blessing? Me neither. Children. All of them. Healthy or unhealthy. Is it Easy Street and cupcakes and roses all day long? I did not say that. Nope. Having an unhealthy child is harrrddd. But don't miss those blessings. Please don't miss your blessings amidst those hard, hard days.
God gives verse upon verse in the Bible about blessings. Matthew 5:3-12 is where Jesus speaks to those things that we don't often think of blessings: trials (James 1:12), being poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), mourning (Matthew 5:4), and when we need a hiding place in him (Psalm 34:8). Don't miss your blessings in the difficult days when your children are unhealthy.
Our version of #Blessed may be miles away from the norm. But everyday I'm bearing witness to the ways God is working and using my unhealthy child to bring glory to him. My guy has the ability to break down the hardest heart, the crankiest of medical staff, just by asking, "What are you doing at home today?" He brings them close. Isn't that what God asks us to do? Get in and do life with others, tell them about what Christ has done for us. My unhealthy child has a way of bringing a hospital full of people in with just a smile faster than I could any day of the week. He is my blessing.
