Blessed.

How did I get so lucky?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17

We are blessed people. God has blessed us with many good things. Sometimes it is hard to really understand how blessed we are during our day-to-day lives, especially when we are in not-so-good circumstances. But even during these hard times, He is there strengthening us (whether we remember this truth or not, He is there).

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

I have had the opportunity to get out of my normal college routine in Minnesota and go study abroad not just for a few weeks, but for a few months. How did I get so lucky? This has given me the opportunity to come to know even more just how great God is, and how He is faithful in every circumstance. More often than not, I am feeling truly grateful for all of the blessings God has given me. He has blessed me with so many great opportunities to learn and to travel, forgiven me with His great mercy, and He pours on me His love and compassion every single day. He has surrounded me with people that love and support me both here and back home, and provided me with others to love and touch with His love throughout my life.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

These are simple truths and blessings that all of us in Christ are given – His love, grace and mercy. So how come we can’t thank Him for these blessings and the mountain of others every day? How come it takes something like a three month study abroad trip to truly realize how blessed I am?

I believe we can all breathe in these truths every day, but first we have to really feel it. We can find out more about these truths and blessings God has given us throughout Scripture. This sort of thankfulness should not be just a once a month or once of week sort of state, but it has to be an everyday sort of state. I also think that practicing thankfulness will lift our spirits, our hopes, and our attitudes when we are facing difficult circumstances in our lives. By thanking Him for all the blessings He has given you, you may be able to see His light and love for you peeking out from the darkness. We can breathe in His blessings every day, and breathe out with our thankfulness, and in response, bless others throughout our lives.