Yes, I am blessed

Matthew: 14,  Jesus had been teaching 5,000 people and by the end of the day everyone was getting hungry.  Jesus told his disciples to feed the people.  The disciples said, “that is impossible all we have  are five loaves of bread and two fish.  Jesus took the bread and fish and gave thanks. What Jesus did next was significant, for he gave thanks for what was not enough. He gave thanks for what he had, not for what he wanted or needed.

The other day we were sitting at our kitchen table. The space where all is sacred, the place to laugh, cry, struggle, fight, play and celebrate our meals. We were feeling particularly stressed that evening. The bills were billing up, car was broken down, an impending surgery, 12 hour days at work was making us feel overwhelmed and beaten down.”What are you talking about?”, our 17-year-old son said. We are very lucky people. We really have everything we need. A house, jobs, our family, this great meal, there really isn’t anything else that we need.  He said, “we have a lot, we have each other.”

At first we felt invalidated like our son had no empathy. We rolled our eyes and laughed at his statements. We spoke later that evening thinking how immature and irreverent he was about our troubles.  Did we spoil him? Does he really think we have it so easy? We did not understand him, he is so young yet almost an adult.

When I was driving the other day listening to the radio, I heard the preacher say;  “Until we are grateful for what is too little, God will not bless us with more. Thanking God for what we don’t have will provide us with abundance.”  I had to pause in the moment. Think about what he said with great wonder. The preachers message was the same message our son tried to teach us to understand a few days earlier.

This is what my son’s message taught me on that day….

We all need people in our life that can help us see clearly. Those people come in all ages and from many relationships lives. Be thankful for what is simple and in your reach. There are many things close to you that you need to find time to validate, appreciate and love. Hold  each day close, be gentle and press your arms closely around those in your life. Everyday is a fresh start and it is up to you what that day will mean and how it will be experienced.

Yes I am blessed and all I needed was my little boy, now a grown man to remind me of the importance.

Amen