Blessings Are In The Eye of The Beholder

The fundamental definition of the word “blessing” connotes the existence of some sort of powerful Supreme Being. By a dictionary’s definition, a blessing is an act or prayer of one who makes anything holy; a grace before eating; or a gift of divine favor. These underlined words are rarely found in an atheist’s daily vocabulary. In repeatedly consulting a dictionary, “prayer,” “holy,” “grace,” and “divine,” are all forms of nouns or adjectives, each with references to a Supreme Being, God, or other Universal, All-Knowing Intelligence. Blessings are recognized by those who are leading a spiritual life.

On the other hand, people who are not of spiritual beliefs (sometimes called Earth People) will credit Fate, Serendipity, Chance or Luck for their good fortune. These people may believe that “something” other than themselves is responsible for their glad tidings, but they don’t know to whom or how to direct their gratitude.

A third category of people are those convinced that their health, monetary wealth, many friends, and successes are solely due to their own intelligence, maneuverings, skills and educated planning. They usually do not walk on a spiritual path of Life’s journey. Self-seeking, power- and money-driven without a second thought of expressing gratitude to someone outside of themselves—these people are those who miss out on the realization of divine blessings, in the pure sense of the word.

For example, food is blessed before a meal, thanking God for providing abundance in crops and livestock to feed mankind. A corporate takeover of Company B by Company A is announced. The new parent company may have a dinner or tribute to its new company heads, but they aren’t blessed by the other members of the two firms. I doubt if any newly-discovered poison antidotes or its discoverers were blessed, but they were recognized and honored for their work in developing life-saving serums. A bee-sting recipient of this antidote was blessed with the good fortune of having his life saved (or prolonged). A strand of rosary beads is blessed, or holy…an authentic strand of pearls is not. An atheist has no use for rosary beads.

It is my experience that my capability to enumerate my own personal blessings is proportionately correlated to my spiritual condition. If I am attuned to the positive forces in my life….if I am centered both emotionally and mentally…and if I am living if full awareness of my spiritual dimension---I have 20/20 vision of the many multitudes of blessing that are present in my life.

Many things that we take for granted, I have found, are things for which we rightfully can’t claim any credit. It is my belief that these are blessing given to us. They are a birthright. The sun is shining today. The fact that THERE IS a day today. Oceans and streams with fish to feed mankind. The consciousness of man to pay closer attention to the abolishment of abuse to our natural resources. Our freedom to choose. There are many blessings more closely attributed to the laboring of man, but still inspired by meditations and the workings of God through chosen. People. A recent consciousness awareness, “Kings, Warriors, Magicians and Lovers,” has produced personalities through the years. Personalities that have changed the course of mankind—Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Albert Einstein and Ghandhi. These four personalities were “blessed” with a purpose, and a :blessing: to mankind’s history. This KWML movement has recently come to this state/region, but its thrust has empowered many of our population in such a short period of time.

A blessing with such “physical plane” improbability is called a “miracle.” It is often said that heart surgeons create a miracle in saving a dying patient. A plastic surgeon will create a miracle by restoring a burn patient’s face and body exterior. Restoring a 150-year old historical home is not a blessing or a miracle, but just importantly, an expensive and dedicated commitment. Another miracle that we so often hear of is the miracle of birth. “And they were blessed with a healthy baby boy,” is a phrase that we often hear others speak when making reference to the birth of someone’s child. The newborn (or older child or adult) is then “blessed” by a minister, priest of rabbi in a ceremony where the child is baptized.

In my own realization of the meaning of blessings, I see them as a creating, prolonging, saving, preserving, enriching and “restoring” of human life. Any manner where God blesses man by insuring him opportunities to develop spiritually as he lives Life is a blessing from God. It is when man considers a good tiding a “blessing,” that he is in the same breath acknowledging God’s hand in it, and expressing gratitude to Him with “a blessing.”

In a recent article of Joyce S. Hifler’s, she state “…A nest-building bird does not see it (her nest-building) as something that will glorify her. If she can further her purpose by instinct, how much more can we do by thinking and putting forth effort for our own divine purpose.”

In attempting to take a spiritual overview of the entire scheme of our divine purpose as human beings—blessing are the many, magnificent tools that God used to create and protect mankind, as he manifests His love in ourselves and one another.

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