Blessed?

You  hear folks say it all the time... "We are so blessed..." or "That trip to Hawaii was such a blessing..." and how about "Lord, thanks for blessing us with such a great parking space!" Really? Is this what God is doing? I struggle with the idea of God hooking me up with a spot near the door... because, hey... Lord knows I don't want to walk an extra 20 yards.
I just started on the Beatitudes and each of them start with "Blessed." This made me want to find out what He really meant.
The word blessed comes from the greek word makarios, meaning a joy that is peaceful and untouchable and has nothing to do with the chances and changes of the world. This is way different than "happiness" which, in a sense, ebbs and flows. Happiness contains the root word hap which means "chance." Therefore, happiness depends on the chances and changes of life... It's very volatile.
When we are "blessed" we are attaining something much more significant than a temporary state of happiness or satisfaction (like eating a good meal, taking a trip, or getting a good parking space...) The christian blessing is untouchable, unable to be attacked, questioned or defeated! It is a joy and peace, that once attained, can never be taken from you. "Your joy," Jesus said "no man taketh from you..." John 16:22
The beatitudes talk about a joy and peace which stays with us through our pain, loss, and grief. A blessing which nothing in life or death can take away! The happiness we receive from this life is very fickle, it changes with the wind. But a blessing is consistent and steadfast and it comes from walking with Christ.