a blessed life

 "It had opened her eyes to the fact that right down in the depths of her own heart she really had but one passionate desire, not for the things which the Shepherd had promised, but for himself. All she wanted was to be allowed to follow him forever."

-Hinds Feet on High Places

What is it you want? Deep down in the depths of your soul what is the thing you long for? Security? Belonging? To hear your dad say he's proud of you? A marriage? A child? A sense of purpose in your job? Self-assurance? 

What is it, dear reader, that you want? 

This past year I sensed the Lord to reflect on the word "blessing." It seemed appropriate from the look of it. It was certainly a year of blessings. I got married. I had a baby. We bought a house. Blessings upon blessings. 

Yet, I sensed the Spirit saying he had something more for me in this word. 

As 2023 came to a close I heard a woman reflecting on the scene in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived life as it was meant to be lived. A life of blessing. And this life was lived with God in friendship. When sin entered the world, they were cursed and their curse was a separation from God. Blessing was the presence of God with them. The opposite of that blessing, the curse, was seperation from him.

To be blessed is to be with God. His blessing is his presence. 

Not a husband. Or a child. Not a dream job or a home or the jeans to fit or a best friend or a church you love or acceptance to that school or even the sense of belovedness, belonging, security, freedom from shame. Those are all beautiful things. Good things. Even things God longs for you to have, but they aren't the ultimate blessing. 

Without those things, we still can live a blessed life. Friendship with God---this is our blessing. This is what our soul truly longs for. We can know this blessing in this life and how much more will we know it in the life to come.