I am blessed as a Son of God.

I don’t always feel especially blessed.

Some mornings I wake up already carrying yesterday. There may be a problem waiting for me, a relationship that feels strained, or a body that is not behaving the way I want it to. Before my feet hit the floor, my mind has begun taking inventory of everything that needs attention.

Blessed is not usually the first word that comes to mind.

I tend to think of blessing as evidence that life is going well. I feel blessed when the people I love are healthy, there is enough money, the plans work out, and no one sends a text that begins with, “Can we talk?” Under that definition, blessing is fragile. It comes and goes with circumstances, and I spend a great deal of time trying to keep those circumstances arranged correctly.

This lesson points to a blessing that is not dependent on arrangement. “I am blessed as a Son of God” does not mean I will get everything I want or be protected from every painful human experience. It means what I am has not been abandoned inside those experiences. My connection to God does not weaken when I am confused, frightened, disappointed, or having a very unimpressive day.

That can be difficult to believe because I often use my feelings as evidence. If I feel lost, I assume I have lost my way; when I feel alone, I conclude that I am alone. But feelings tell me what I am experiencing, not what I am.

The blessing may be present before I recognize it. It may appear as the strength to face what I would rather avoid, the person who sits with me without trying to fix me, or a moment of peace that arrives while nothing has been resolved. Sometimes it is simply the fact that I can choose again after fear has been running the day.

I also notice how often I postpone blessing until I become a better version of myself. Yet this lesson does not say I will be blessed when I improve. It says I am blessed now. Perhaps remembering that would help me change more honestly. When I do not have to earn my worth, I can apologize, make a correction, and begin again without using any of it to determine whether God still loves me.

Today I want to notice where I have been looking for proof of blessing. Circumstances may bring comfort, and I am grateful when they do. They are not its source.