Blessings

It is that time of year again where we gather with family and friends and act grateful for the things that we have. We are thankful for the food in our tummies and the people that we are able to share it with. However, do we (myself included) ever fully acknowledge the blessings that we truly have? If you are reading this blog, you most likely have a somewhat secure life as you dive into your studies at school. With that being said, do people of our status take the time each day to really be grateful? I believe this is one of the problems with our generation but luckily, we can look to artists such as Chance The Rapper to show us what it truly means to acknowledge what we are grateful for.

Even if you are not a spiritual person, “Blessings” by Chance The Rapper is appealing because of its uplifting tone and lyrics. To set the tone of the song, Chance sings,

I’m gon’ praise Him, praise Him ’til I’m gone
When the praises go up, the blessings come down
It seems like blessings keep falling in my lap

These lyrics might be a turn off to some because of the religious allusions to a Christian god. However, there is a theme here that can apply to everyone. No matter what your status, there is always something that you can find to be grateful for. The first step in giving thanks is recognizing all that you have been given. Because Chance acknowledges that he is a blessed man, he is able to see the many blessings that are in his life. We can learn from Chance by recognizing everything that has been given to us.

Chance acknowledges the gifts that he has in the first line of the first verse:

I don’t make songs for free, I make ’em for freedom

Chance is known for not selling his work. All of his songs have always been available for free either through SoundCloud or Spotify. However, the point here is that Chance writes his songs for “freedom.” Here, Chance acknowledges how great it is to live in the United States because of the freedom of speech. Because America has given him this right, he is able to express his thoughts and feelings on what goes on around him. This is a right that many people today take for granted. Freedom of speech is one of the greatest parts about our country and Chance is making sure his audience recognizes that.

Chance continues showing his gratitude when he talks about starting a family:

Said you the man of the house now, look out for your family
He has ordered my steps, gave me a sword with a crest

Here, Chance recognizes the role that he has been given as a father. Sadly, the United States has been crippled by high divorce rates and often times kids growing up don’t have a father figure to look up to. Chances recognizes his duty as a father and realizes the gifts he has in order to raise his family. Chance returns to the topic of family later in the song when he says:

Like my ex girl getting pregnant and her becoming my everything

Instead of leaving his ex-girl to raise the child on her own, Chance recognizes the gift that is life and knows his duty to be a father.

Sometimes, it can be hard to know what to be grateful for. We can look to Chance to gain an understanding of what is a blessing and what is not. In the second verse of the song, Chance sings:

I know the difference in blessings and worldly possessions

During the holiday season, it easy to give thanks for the things we have. This includes worldly possessions maybe such as the latest iPhone or the trendiest clothing brand. However, what Chance is getting at is that we need to be grateful for the relationships we have, not the things we have. In the end, we can only make the most out of this world by being in communion with one another. Worldly possessions aren’t going to bring us lasting happiness and our generation has a very hard time dealing with this. If we recognize the talents that we have, our long journey towards being truly grateful only begins.

Listen to “Blessings” here: