Have you ever found yourself earnestly praying for something from God, yet you’re unsure how to handle it when the blessing arrives because it doesn’t come in the way or the package that you were expecting?

I experienced a job loss a couple of years ago, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of a conversation I had with a friend a few years ago on the subject of blessings. After my experience, I had to remind myself no matter how it’s given to you, a blessing from God is always a blessing. After doing some self-reflection, it struck me I am so guilty of not always being thankful when God blesses me. In fact, sometimes I’ve been downright angry.

In the case of my job, I’ve been praying for years to make books my full-time business. I assumed the opportunity would come after I had an air-tight plan in place and my husband and I had a nice little nest egg. I’m sure God laughed at those plans as I sat in the human resources office being told I was being let go. The words bruised my ego, but they didn’t break my spirit. I was determined before I even walked out of the HR director’s office that rather than seeing this as a failure, I was going to use this unexpected opportunity to fly very high. The blessing didn’t take the form I thought it would, but it is still a blessing. A few years ago, I don’t know if I would have had the same mindset. Thank God for growth.

 

Over the years, I’ve prayed for jobs, to get a “good” man, to get married, to have a baby, for reliable transportation and a nice place to raise my daughter. God has answered my prayers exceedingly and abundantly in ways I could never even imagine. Looking back, there have been so many times I’ve been annoyed—and if I’m being honest, I’ve been mad—at God because I prayed for this job, and I got that one instead, or I’ve prayed for this kind of man (notice I didn’t say anything about him being good) to find me, and that one ended up being the one to take notice instead, or for a house in this neighborhood, only to be able to afford one in that one.

I wonder if my annoyance has caused me to miss out on some blessings, but then I have to remember that what’s meant for me will not elude me. I’ve decided from here on out, I’m not even going to refer to it as a loss because in fact, I know in the grand scheme of my life, it’s going to be a huge gain. It is the opportunity that will catapult me to my destiny and become a part of my testimony. I wholeheartedly believe God has something amazing in store for me, and rather than focusing on why things happened the way they did, I’m spending my energy thanking God for the door He’s opened for me and the fact that my family and I are not going to miss a beat because my name is already being mentioned in rooms I haven’t even entered, and my gifts have already shown they will make room for me (Prov. 18:20). Just like Genesis 50:20 says, what others may have meant for evil, God means for good, and what’s happened to me will bless people. I’m going to do everything in my power to be ready for whatever blessings God has in store for me.

 

Maybe you’re like me and you find yourself experiencing a blessing in an unexpected way.

Maybe you’ve questioned your blessings and the form in which they’ve come. Today, I challenge you to take a moment to realize a blessing is a blessing and to use what you’ve experienced in a way that will bring God honor and glory. Acknowledge your feelings of hurt or anger if you must, but then take a deep breath, be still so you can hear what God wants you to do and keep it moving. God knows what’s best for you, and He’s not going to bring any junk your way. See your blessings through God’s eyes. Appreciate what He’s given you, regardless of what form the blessing takes.