Musings: Feeling Blessed

As I sat in my screened room this morning enjoying my quiet time with God, I felt so profoundly moved that a few tears rolled down my cheeks.  I was suddenly struck by just how blessed I am in life. It’s not that I wasn’t already aware of this fact, but this morning, in that particular moment, it just smacked me right between the eyes, hit me in the solar plexus, took my breathe away.

I am truly blessed beyond belief as I acknowledge just the basics of my life.  As far as I am aware I have good health.  I also have  medical coverage that allows me to take care of any health issues that may arise.  I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and clothes to put on my body.  I also have enough money to pay for these things and to cover the bills.  Except for my mortgage, I have no debts.  There are more people in the world who do not have all these things than who do have them.  That makes me incredibly blessed.

But let me go beyond the basics and look at the other blessings in my life.  The very fact that I am typing this means that I have been educated and can read and write.  That I am typing this on a computer is another huge blessing.  As I look around the “roof that is over my head” I recognize that I have many other-than-basic things that help to make my home comfortable and beautiful.  And in the driveway there are two vehicles and my husband’s beloved Harley is in the garage.  I feel so blessed.

The more I thought about the blessings in my life, the more I felt blessed.  I am fortunate enough to have many friends.  And when I say friends I mean the kind of people who truly care about me.  People who would drop everything and come and sit with me in a crisis.  Couples, singles – both male and female – who would come hold my hand or my heart if I was hurting badly either physically or emotionally.  People who love to spend time with me, eating a good meal or going to the movies, or just sitting sharing from the heart.

I have a freedom to believe in the God of my understanding and to worship that God in whatever church I choose – or not.  I am nurtured and fed by sharing my faith with many of the friends I mentioned previously, either through ritual at church or in less formal ways as I also develop my spirituality outside the confines of a church.  What a blessing that is!

As I continued to sit there, a hummingbird flew into my yard and dazzled me with his amazing flying and hovering capabilities.  He shone like a bright jewel in the morning sunlight.  Alongside him bees were buzzing from bloom to bloom drinking their fill of nectar.  Lizards darted along the back fence, stopping from time to time to puff out their pink necks in aggression or attraction, depending on whether the other lizard was male or female.  Cardinals and Blue Jays flew amongst the pine trees behind the fence while several iridescent dragonflies flew lazy rectangles around the yard.  And my heart was filled with joy and gratitude at the magnitude of blessings that fill my life.