The Blessed Life

This morning, our church will embark on a new series called "The Blessed Life".

While I could list off all of the things that have been bad in my life, and I have spent many a day feeling sorry for myself or my circumstances or for my kid, the reality is that we truly live a blessed life.

We won the genetic lottery just by being born in this country. That makes us better off than most of the people in the world.

I have known how to read since I was 3. That means that I am more fortunate than 14% of the world's population that cannot read.

I have access to clean, running water at all hours of the day and night. I am luckier than 3 billion people.

I can drive a car, I have a roof over my head and food on my table.

Although I have struggled with infertility and miscarriages, my daughter was able to be conceived without medical intervention.

Although I was abused for the majority of the first 19 years of my life, I know that I will never again have to live in fear, isolation, or despair. When I go to sleep at night, I will not have to worry about how I will be awoken.

Although I have cut and burned myself in the past, I know that I will never again return to the illness that led me down those roads.

My family is living a very blessed life.

I hope Z understands how very, very fortunate she is. I pray that I find a way to make her understand how important it is for us to be generous with our time and our treasures. I dream that her mission in life will be for the well-being of others.

As my family works towards becoming debt-free, I pray that God will develop our servant hearts. That He will teach us how to stray from selfishness and worldly desires and focus fully on the needs of His kingdom.

And along the way give us the strength and knowledge to teach our daughter to do the same.

Matthew 20:26 "It must not be this way among you! But whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. 20:27 And whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”