Feeling Blessed Often Depends On How Well We See And Value Life.

by Eric Elkin

“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.”

— Luke 6:24

When I was in junior high, my father lost his job. The circumstances surrounding the event were unjust, but it didn't matter. Our family lost its primary source of income. I remember how I felt at the time. Now, as an adult, I realize a child has no real grasp of an adult's anxiety. We were a family with four children and a mortgage. Money was not worshipped, but it was critical to life.

I thought it was the worst thing ever to happen. When I think about my reasons for feeling this way, I realize it was all selfishness. Life didn't change very much. The only difference was my parents said, "No," more often than before to my spending requests.

The most significant difference happened in my head. It was during my father's unemployment that I became much more aware of what I did not possess. At the same time, I became more aware of what my friends did own. The combination of these two things led me to "woe" my condition. And, I was lamenting my own situation, not my family's.

One day, all my self-pity came to the surface. After being told "no" once again, I said, "I'm tired of being poor." My mother immediately grabbed me and got in my face. She said, "You have clothes, you have food, and you have a house. You are not poor." She was right. In my "woe" condition, I could not see our wealth.

The older I get, the more I realize how much punishments we attribute to God do not come from God. Instead, they are conditions we place on ourselves. Like my feeling deprived amid abundance, penalties in scripture are often self-inflicted wounds. They are wounds healed by faith in a caring and creative God.

“Those who have never read the Sermon on the Mount cannot grasp what Christianity is all about.”

— Pope John Paul II

Former NFL running back, Warrick Dunn is a witness to the blessing of poverty. Dunn was raised by a single mother who was shot and killed when he was 18 years old. The city of New Orleans helped his family financially following his mother's death. Their gifts and efforts helped Warrick Dunn's family survive and thrive.

When Warrick Dunn was a rookie in the NFL, his coach Tony Dungy challenged him to give back to the community. Dunn responded by setting up a foundation that worked with Habitat for Humanity. The partnership worked with single-parent families living in poverty. They helped parents receive financial training and secure housing.

This month, Warrick Dunn Charities and Habitat for Humanity completed work on their 173rd house. Single mother, LaToya Reedy, and her son, AnTrez, received a fully furnished two-bedroom home in St. Petersburg, Florida. When asked by reporters how it feels, LaToya responded, "I can be at peace."

When asked about his charitable work, Dunn reflected, "As you get older, life changes, and you start to view things and value life differently." He continued, "I tell people I am a lucky guy, but I am definitely blessed to be in the position I am to help people."

These simple words are the best sermon I've ever heard on the Beatitudes. They leave me wondering how well I value life. How well can I see my own wealth, and am I trying to be a blessing to others? These are good questions to wrestle with as we head into the holiday season. It might help you turn your woe into a blessing.

Click to read Luke 6: 20-31