Ever notice a cycle with blessings? We desire good things. A car, property,job, romantic partner. ..We pray and trust God for these things, and then they arrive.

And what happens next? 

It's work! A lot of work! There is opposition, but there's also lot required of us. I think we often characterize blessings as being good, favorable, fun, sweet--all positive qualities. But it seems to me that blessings come with a responsibility that challenge us, makes us feel uncomfortable, demands the potential in us to rise to the surface of our character--seemingly negative feelings. And we ask ourselves, how can this be a blessing, when it hurts so bad? But that's just it.

Every blessing comes from our Daddy who art in heaven. The same Daddy who gives is the One who chastises. He comforts us with his rod and his staff. He is the Ultimate Husbandman, producing fruit from His Seed (us). The blessing of the blessing is that it is preparing us for greater blessings that mold us into the responsible and humble human beings we then become. I guess that's why they say be careful what you ask for. Little did you know, you were asking to be grown up.