Why are some people more blessed than others?

[OctMtnWoods]

NOT A RELIGOUS THREAD.

I see people say they are blessed for receiving this or that. Or this happening rather than that happening. I don't use the word blessed. I'm not surrounded by people who do. Perhaps its a regional thing, not necessarily more religous. Instead, I use the word lucky.

So, what makes them more blessed / lucky than you or I to receive these wonderful things?

Don't they get them because they earned them, eligible or qualify for them, or won them?

It always comes across as they received this blessing, but I guess the rest of us weren't worthy? That's why I use the word luck. They are luckier than I or luckier than most perhaps?

 

[Minnie_me]

I wonder this all the time.

Our neighbors seem to have things fall into their laps all the time. Trips to the Caribbean, tickets to hot events, chance meetings with celebrities and sports figures, etc.

We get nothin'. Ever. It's weird.

 

[Piecey]

I have a friend who tells me I am so *lucky* to be where I am in my life and been the places I have. It REALLY irritates me.

I'm not exactly sure how luck had anything to do with anything in my life. I've worked hard for absolutely everything that I have.
If I'd won something (kinda like those Macys moms at Disney right now!) then it would be different... but I didn't win my husband, my house or my son.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are saying... but I don't go along with the mentality that I just got lucky and that is why I have the life that I have.

 

[tonilea]

To me, blessed doesn't imply deserving. Though, I do think it reflects a persons belief system. Blessed implys that you are thankful for what you have been given.

 

[MoniqueU]

This bugs me. Or when someone says their prayers were answered. I remember when Elizabeth Smart was found and her parents were going on and on and on about how their prayers were answered etc. I thought to myself imagine how the other families that don't have a happy outcome feel. Did they not pray the right way or enough etc/ I found it pretty offensive actually/ I also find the saying that GOD doesn't give us more then we can handle offensive. People have said that to me just to say something. I don't know how they know what I or anyone else can "handle". I don't know what the suicide rate is or the nervous breakdown rate is in this country but surely some of those people had more then they could handle and I doubt all of them were heathens or doing something wrong. I lost a child so some of these phrases or attitudes PISS ME OFF. And no I don't like to hear sometimes god doesn't give you the answer you want. That doesn't make sense to me either. I don't think one family is more blessed then another or did the right things so benefited more and I don't believe some people did things wrong and brought stuff on themselves.

 

[Angelhalo]

I don't believe in luck, but I do believe in blessings, and only God knows why he gives them.

 

[Nie0214]

I always thought those who could stand to learn a thing or two about saving and financial responsibility were the ones that get "lucky" with handouts from family/friends. The rest of us financially responsible (aka "unlucky") people get to be the "bad guy" when we refuse to bail out someone who has been bailed out 100 times before.

 

[wdwiala]

I won a contest several years ago. I simply tell people that we were blessed to have won it. I don't say blessed out of any sense of self rightousness. I use it as I would use the word grace. It is something that I have received that I did nothing to earn and did not deserve. It is what it is and I am thankful.

 

[freckles and boo]

Attitude is everything. I don't believe in god but I do believe that dwelling on the negative just seems to produce more negative energy. Sometimes it take more work to find the positive in a situation, but when you can find that perspective you are more likely to feel fortunate (or blessed, if you will). I also agree that most people earn their "luck" by working hard and making good choices. The prayer thing is a can of worms I won't open, but if it brings people peace I won't judge them.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Mikeeee

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I have a friend who tells me I am so *lucky* to be where I am in my life and been the places I have. It REALLY irritates me.

I'm not exactly sure how luck had anything to do with anything in my life. I've worked hard for absolutely everything that I have.
If I'd won something (kinda like those Macys moms at Disney right now!) then it would be different... but I didn't win my husband, my house or my son.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are saying... but I don't go along with the mentality that I just got lucky and that is why I have the life that I have.

I agree with you, that you have the things you have because you worked for them. I don't consider that luck either. Maybe my question was worded poorly, as usual.

For instance, saying you are blessed because you received a scholorship. No, I think you earned it, or were picked from those that were eligible or qualified. And I think you were lucky that you were the one to receive it when there may have been many eligible to receive it.

Saying you were blessed makes me think I don't deserve to be blessed since I didn't receive it.

Just symantics I guess. Things strike me odd sometimes.

 

[autumnpalm]

I believe we are all blessed, but in different ways and at different times. Some of the poorest people I know are also the happiest people I know. Some of the sickest people are the ones with the best attitudes. Blessings can come in so many forms. Those are my thoughts, anyway.

 

[moon]

OK, everytime I've seen a thread like this the comments of "I wasn't 'blessed',
or 'lucky' or 'given anything' , I just worked hard to get where I am" start to pop up.

For one thing those people were "blessed" "lucky" or "given" good health and enough intelligence to function in this world and get ahead. That's the biggest gift one can be given.

Then many more have other gifts, such as having been born in America or another developed country, quite a few others had parents who cared and could give them a good start.


Don't fool yourselves. Everyine who succedes was "blessed" or any other word you use for it.

As for the answer to your question, OP, truly, I have no idea

 

[OctMtnWoods]

This bugs me. Or when someone says their prayers were answered. I remember when Elizabeth Smart was found and her parents were going on and on and on about how their prayers were answered etc. I thought to myself imagine how the other families that don't have a happy outcome feel. Did they not pray the right way or enough etc/ I found it pretty offensive actually/ I also find the saying that GOD doesn't give us more then we can handle offensive. People have said that to me just to say something. I don't know how they know what I or anyone else can "handle". I don't know what the suicide rate is or the nervous breakdown rate is in this country but surely some of those people had more then they could handle and I doubt all of them were heathens or doing something wrong. I lost a child so some of these phrases or attitudes PISS ME OFF. And no I don't like to hear sometimes god doesn't give you the answer you want. That doesn't make sense to me either. I don't think one family is more blessed then another or did the right things so benefited more and I don't believe some people did things wrong and brought stuff on themselves.

OK, that's sort of along the lines of what I was trying to say, but without the prayer stuff. Like I said. Stuff just strikes me odd sometimes and I was just posting out loud. Probably shouldn't do that. lol

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that people who work hard tend to get more things but there are always those who seem to constantly be in the right place at the right time. There are also those who seem to be snake-bit as they say around here.

I know that I am unlucky when it comes to jobs. I keep finding jobs that look good on the outside but then they are horrible when I actually start working there and they get steadily worse. I'm not picky or making this up; friends and family keep on asking me how I keep finding these losers. Just one of those things I guess.

Also, there are those people who keep on having illnesses for no apparent reason. I feel really bad for them.

 

[pearlieq]

I don't think of "blessed" as implying worthiness, but more as an expression of gratitude and spiritual acknowledgment.

When someone looks at their life and thinks "I am so blessed" I take to mean something akin to "I have a wonderful life and I truly appreciate all of the good things that have happened to me." It's not "God must like me best."

 

[C.Ann]

DD and I are always saying that her DH lived a "charmed" life - which makes it very difficult for him and his parents to relate to what our lives have been like..

He is an only child.. His parents both worked for the state (great salaries; great health insurance; great retirement packages; etc.).. Neither of his parents came from "large" families - and along the way, they each inherited extremely large amounts of money.. Because of this, they never had any financial "struggles"; only had one child to raise and educate; and didn't have enough extended family members to ever really have to deal with more than one tragedy - nor any issues of this relative or that relative having many health problems..

Our family was - and is - quite the opposite.. DH and I were supporting 8 kids between the two of us; he came from a large immediate family and an extremely large extended family.. I had a large immediate family (larger than I knew - once I found out I was adopted) - plus a very, very large extended family.. Tragedies and serious illnesses started in my family when I was just a toddler and have continued throughout my entire life.. The same holds true for my late DH..

So when comparing our life to my son-in-law's life, it's more a matter of "circumstance" - than "blessings" or lack of trying or any of those other things that have been mentioned..

We worry about my son-in-law because he hasn't dealt with family members dying left and right - or dying under very tragic circumstances.. We're dreading the day that something happens to one of his parents, because we have no idea how he will be able to handle it.. It's going to devastate him.. And of course when they pass on, he won't even have any siblings to help him get through it..

The one thing I will say though is that I am a firm believer in prayer.. Many people don't believe in prayer because they don't get the desired results - but sometimes God's answer is, "No." - and we just have to accept that and go on without losing our faith.. (And on that note, I better stop - because I'm getting into that banned area..)

Anyhow - that's my take on this "blessed" - "lucky" - or whatever you want to call it issue..

 

[daisax]

We worry about my son-in-law because he hasn't dealt with family members dying left and right - or dying under very tragic circumstances.. We're dreading the day that something happens to one of his parents, because we have no idea how he will be able to handle it.. It's going to devastate him..

If they pass in a typical way, he'll be sad and he'll cope, the way anybody does. If they pass tragically, he'll be devastated as anyone would be.

Unless he's a complete delicate flower that can't handle everyday stress, I wouldn't worry too much about him handling the big stuff. My life was pretty lucky in terms of tragedy until a few years ago when we got a couple of doozies in a row, but I don't think most people go through life never preparing for the idea of loss, especially of a parent.

I'm sure he's very grateful that he hasn't had to deal with the sadness your family has, and hopefully the rest of his life (and your daughter's) will be largely free of it.

 

[lalijack]

OctMtnWoods, not sure where in New England you live, but I am about 20 minutes north of Boston. I have to agree with the comment you made in your OP...."blessed" is not a word that's used much around me. Rather, I hear people saying they were lucky enough to have or achieve this or that. I do think that's probably a regional thing.

Planogirl, I know exactly what you're talking about when you mention people who are constantly in the right place at the right time. My brother is one of those people. Always making really stupid choices, but everything seems to work out well for him in the end. My papa used to say that my brother could "step in a bucket of poop and come out with a gold suit".

C.Ann, I'd be worried about your SIL too if I were you. Sounds like he's headed for a big ol' shock in his future. At least he'll have the benefit of your experience to lean on.

 

[Buckalew11]

I think it may be regional. I use the word "blessed" everyday. It is how I see it. It isn't that I do not believe in *luck*, I do. And those words probably aren't ones I'd substitute for each other.
I feel blessed my mom dealt with her BC the way she did and made it through so well. I feel blessed that I had the dad I had even though PC took him from me. I felt blessed to have that time with him even though my early prayers of his healing were not fulfilled by God healing him.

I think we're all blessed. I think the more blessed you are, the more accountable you are.

I have known people who seem to have a black storm cloud hanging over them. In fact, I asked one person who I perceive in that way about it once.

She didn't see it that way at all. It must have something to do with how you look at things. One could definitely insert her name into the Bible in place of the name Job.

I was pretty amazed at her outlook. She is someone who led a hard life, struggled to have children, had a stillborn baby (full term), broke her back, is crippled up, had breast cancer, every surgery has complications, her DH had cancer among others in the family, Lost her DH, her DD went through a horrible divorce and had to move away, her son lost a baby...it goes on and on for her and she doesn't see it--sees nothing but the blessings she has been given. Her outlook truly amazes me.