Blessed Luck

I think that "There, but for the grace of God, go I" is one of the most overused idioms in the English language. Here is the way that this site explains it's usage:

something that you say which means something bad that has happened to someone else could have happened to you

I don't like the condescending way that many people use this phrase but do resonate with the sentiment. The idea of "luck" is a difficult concept for many religious folks. In my fundy days I used to say that I did not believe in luck. A group that I belonged to would not use "pot luck" to describe our gatherings and used "pot of blessing" instead. When I think about the difference between "luck" and "blessing" I do not always see much of a difference.

For example, saying that I am blessed to have been born in America insinuates that people that are not born here are not blessed. Something similar can be said substituting the word "lucky" for "blessed". The difference, in my opinion, is the way that God is brought into the mix. To call being born in America a blessing is to say that people born there are more favored by God than those born in other places. It distorts the word "blessing".

That said, I do think that there are major differences between luck and blessing. I think that luck, good or bad, is an appropriate way to describe some of the random things that happen to us. Yet even in the midst of good or bad luck blessings can be found if we understand the idea of being blessed. Consider what Jesus Christ says about being blessed:

• "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
• "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
• "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
• "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I could quote more of these but think that the message is clear. Being blessed has little to do with what happens to us but how we respond to good or bad luck.