#blessed

Last week I read these two articles here and here about the hashtag "#Blessed" that everyone uses on Twitter and Instagram.  The two articles basically say that the hashtag is getting out of control.  People are claiming they are blessed for mostly good things, like their family and their health, but they also use the hashtag for things like a cup of coffee, a day off work, etc.  It's getting a little ridiculous.  Kris Jenner is the focus of the first article.  The thought is that she throws in #blessed to her tweets and 'grams as a humble brag, she isn't just rich and privileged, she is also blessed.  Which I guess is fine but it sort of takes advantage of the word that really stands for God's grace in other people's lives.  The second article references the bible verses that spell out what being blessed actually is (Matthew 5 1-12).  Being blessed means God loves you even when you feel alone, God will comfort you when you are broken, God will be your refuge in a world of evil.  It means a bit more even than having a great job, house, family or good health.  It goes beyond that.  (I'm not saying non-Christians can't say they are blessed, because the word can have different meanings, I'm only referencing its origin in the bible.)

What happens when something becomes so popular (46 million #blessed hashtags on Instagram) is that it begins to get misused, and then people start writing about how it is being misused, and then people stop using it even when they could be using it.  Another similar example is "ironic".  Alanis Morissette wrote a song that gave whole bunch of examples of things that are not ironic and now no one knows what ironic means.  I'm still confused!

On Saturday morning I went for a run with my iPod for the first time in a long time. I have been running sans music, but I dug out my old iPod out this week and brought it along.  At one point a great song came on (Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida ft. David Guetta, by the way) and I started running as fast as I could and I was beaming as I ran.  It was a beautiful morning, I am healthy and I can run.  I felt blessed!!

I think we should still keep saying we are blessed even if it doesn't fit into the exact description Matthew 5 1-12, but we should be conscious of when we are saying it so it doesn't lose its meaning altogether, and then people start rolling their eyes.  Perhaps it should have a more sacred use, for the big things that truly enrich your life and that you have a true appreciation for.   And if you're so inclined, those things that are gifts from God, not just a really great cup of coffee.