Upside Down Blessing List

My front flower bed, beautifully arranged years ago by the previous owners, has its flaws now. Wide splits advertise the wood frame's age. Wayward grass peaks out from among the daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth. Last fall's crunchy, curled leaves cling to the grass and weeds, unwilling to blow the way of the wind.



But still each year, bloom delights us. Beauty shines through the messy.



Mulch, much needed, runs high in price for large amounts. I need food for the family more than I need a perfect flower bed. 


As I stare at this bed now, I think of my life. I'm grateful for my children and my husband. They're like the blooms. Their beauty strikes me daily. Each one so unique. Each one special in some way. 


But there's something else about this life


It's messy too. 


Sin exists here, within the wood frame of our home, like the weeds, grass, and leaves in the flower bed. Disease and disorder visit here daily. People complain about the food. They want something different, something better, something more. They don't want to clean and straighten, wash and fold, sweep and mop. They want their own way, not His. They want it easy, not hard. Smooth, not bumpy. 


Soon, we'll kneel down and pull the weeds and the grass, disengaging the leaves, putting it all in the trash bin. 


Similarly, we'll say about our wayward hearts...we're going to do better.


But within days of the purging, sin and weeds will return, taking root. As hard as we try here, we can't get just the blooms. We want the beauty without the messy. 


Even though God takes care of the blooms, allowing them to grace us year after year, we forget about His faithfulness. 


We worry about the lack of mulch, the decaying wood. We worry about frost and flooding. 


We fret about lack of clothes, lack of healthcare, lack of savings, lack of decent vehicles, lack of repair money, lack of fun money. We fret about lack, itself.


And yet, what does Jesus say about lack? Does He regard it as something to worry about?


Luke 6:20-26

Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when men hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

23“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

24“But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

25Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

26Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Scripture Source

What does Jesus consider as blessings? Being poor (spiritually poor, specifically), being hungry, being hated.


What does Jesus consider as woes? Being full, being well liked, being one who laughs.


It's so hard to disengage from this world, with its vacations, gourmet food, and abundance, and see with new eyes. See with Jesus' eyes. 


We can't properly take care of ourselves and our children. The numbers on paper? They just don't add up in our favor. And the lack steals our peace. 


When we let it. When we're stuck in this world.


When we choose to focus on the weeds, instead of the blooms. When we focus on the wait, instead of on His faithfulness.


Jesus makes us some soothing promises, delivered if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matt 6:25-34).


It's all upside down, his kingdom and his righteousness: a woe is a blessing, and a blessing a woe; too hard is good, too easy is bad.


When we count our blessings today, shall we count them the way Jesus does? The upside-down way?


My Upside Down Blessing List:


~ There's no money for mulch. I'm blessed.


~ Paul went to church in an old, faded shirt. At the thrift store today, I could only find one decent spring church shirt for him. I'm blessed.


~ The toilets still aren't fixed. I'm blessed.


~ The kitchen faucet leaks. I'm blessed.


~ The yard needs weed killer that we can't afford. I'm blessed.


~ The back door needs to be refurbished. I'm blessed 


~ There's ground turkey for dinner. Again. I'm blessed.


~ I'd like a bike so I can ride with my kids, but there's no money. I'm blessed.


~ My son will wake up tomorrow and annoy us many times before noon. I'm blessed.


~ My daughter might not be able to walk tomorrow when she gets out of bed. I'm blessed.


For really, if I had all these things taken care of, would I need Jesus as much as I do? Would I cling just as tightly? Would I seek His kingdom? And His righteousness? 


Or would I be distracted by my abundance and my choices? Would I run around from place to place, adventure to adventure, seeking fun and laughter, instead of seeking Him?


I know the answer. Yes, I would. 


Blessed are those who know lack in an abundant world, for they need Jesus to survive, both physically and spiritually. His Truth, they know.