No biggie, just thought is was funny that someone would comment without reading what the article said. Oh, and I don't thrive on the opportunity to bash people. But, I will say, improper use of phrases and words is a pet peeve of mine.
Okay... I am way late on this one. I did read it at work yesterday... couldn't open the article... kept my mouth shut (or fingers off the key board). As soon as I saw the title... I was immediately taken to the Beatitudes... covered in the article. I kind of agree with the author (shocking). There are way too many trivializations of what is truly a blessing. I felt blessed today to be with my family... I received nothing for being there... except a sense of being blessed. Now, I remember how many people have no family to be with. Wow!, I could share with someone about how great of a day I had, and this may offend someone? Like my brother in Virginia, who would have loved to be here for our fish fry (he loves my fish fries) but couldn't because he is recovering from surgery. Is he not being blessed because he couldn't be here with us? Would it make him feel badly because he couldn't be here with us? I was going to call him tomorrow... maybe just to ask how he is doing? Maybe calling him would be a blessing... or not. Maybe his having to have surgery is a blessing in and of itself... to someone else, to him, who knows? Me... I think every breath, every pulse, every day is a blessing. I get the point made... I hope. There are some who may be offended by my station in life... surrounded by family, a good job, a loving wife and a comfortable home. The problem comes, not when I see these wonderful things as blessings, but when I consider my life better than theirs... because of these things... that's not being blessed... that's just being a snob. I think I get it.
So now that I have thoroughly read and understand the content of the the article.... I realize the content of my original response (though I still maintain its integrity) was misplaced and irrelevant to the article. In response to the article, I agree. I believe, unfortunately, that often times the word "blessed" is utilized in a context absent of its true source. That is to say, people use the word without the thought of God doing the blessing. It has been marginalized. Much like many other words...which is almost contradictory to my last point...but its still a word...I am guilty of using it without the thought of God...just "that I am blessed" not "I am blessed by God".....
