Hi, and welcome to Coffee Talk. In case you’re new here, this is where I share some of the great and not~so~great stuff that I find on the web. Topics range from news stories that leave me scratchin’ my head to DIYs that I think are absolutely clever. And there may be a recipe thrown in here or there just for fun.
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
This has become my standard response whenever I hear or read someone use the word “blessed” in a tweet or Facebook status e.g.“We were blessed today, #Scandal has been renewed!” or “I was blessed to meet {insert name of random actor, rapper, celebutante here}!” Think about it, were those really blessings or was one the result of excellent ratings and the other a great opportunity?
For me, the word “blessed” is sacred; it means that God has done something miraculous for me. He has made something wonderful and awesome happen in my life. The Dictionary.com definition of “blessed” is:
- consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified: the Blessed Sacrament.
- worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship: the Blessed Trinity.
- divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.
- blissfully happy or contented.
- Roman Catholic Church, beatified.
Call me crazy but I have a hard time ascribing the renewal of a television series about murder, adultery, and other, ummm, scandals to the wondrous works of a God who expressly forbids those actions. The Ten Commandments, anyone?
I think it’s OK to be happy that a favorite show has been renewed or to be excited to meet your favorite celeb but I also think it’s about perspective. God does not put anything into our lives that is not good or uplifting towards Him. Waking up with a sound mind, healthy body, the ability to work, being surrounded by people you love and people who love you, those are blessings. A renewed TV show or celebrity encounter, not so much.
What say you? Do you think I’m being too literal in my definition of the word “blessed”?
