Lollipops and Hammers

Blessing.

That’s a loaded word.  And I find myself sludging through the muck of all the misguided or ill-formed definitions that seem so readily available to me. 

Think about it; I bet at least two conflicting definitions that you’ve heard over the years have already popped into your mind.  “What does the ‘Blessing of the Lord’ mean to you?”  You ask that question, and you will get a myriad of responses!  Some biblical, others... not so much.  But since it’s 4:30 a.m. and I am in no way tired (but very likely will be right about the time my little balls-o-energy wake up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!), I couldn’t stop my mind from pushing through more of the murk to find something a little less... squishy.

I’m not done wading, but here’s where I landed this (early!) morning, at least.  Sometimes I belt out “God’s just blessed me so much with <insert good thing that I wanted HERE>!”  But then if the status of that “good thing” ever changes, I look to God in disbelief like a toddler to a parent after having a thrice-licked lollipop torn from his chubby little hands.  Can’t you just hear that little guy yelping, “But that was mine, mine, MINE!”?  

But what if these things I’ve deemed as God’s “blessings” in my life are really more like His tools that He’s loaning me in His timing to accomplish HIS continuing work in and around me?  What if they are less like lollipops  and more like hammers?  With the “lollipop” view point, the “blessing” is all about my pleasure and even more, MY CONSUMPTION.  Alternately, viewing God’s provisions as tools allows me to see clearly that the intention of the “blessing” is to accomplish His Purpose and expand His Kingdom... not simply to fill my sticky hands.  And when the time for those particular tools’ use has come to completion, God may choose to hand me new ones instead.  And if I am rightly perceiving them as opportunities to make HIS name great, then when He exchanges that hammer for a vice grip, my question is less of a “But, why?!” and more of an “Alright, Master Carpenter; what do you want me to do next with this one?”

(This, to me, is an excellent time to remind myself of the GLORIOUS richness of our promised eternity with HIM!  We’ve been forgiven, set free, and shown inconceivable GRACE with this gift!  And that’s a blessing, a promise that transforms the viewing of these earthly “tools.”  Our divine Gift is our sonship through Christ, not simply what lines our wallets or the walls of our homes in this temporary life in the flesh.)

And again, I am well aware that this only begins to scratch the surface.  But it IS a start.  In the meantime, I am beyond humbled and thankful that God has graciously listened to my many “But, why?”s while ever so patiently challenging how I consider the instruments in His toolbox.