Just like everyone else, occasionally my self-esteem takes a hit (or two!). This past week just happened to be one of those moments. My situation wasn’t quite as bad as not being picked for the kickball game at lunch, but almost.

Truthfully, it doesn’t take much for us to stick our proverbial thumb in our mouth and go to pouting. Someone says something unkind. Someone forgets our special day. Someone ignores an achievement. And still someone else laughs at something we did that wasn’t intended to be funny. Suddenly, we lack the ability to see God at work in our life.

But consider a chart I recently saw. It tracks a family line. It is interesting.

In order to be born, you needed: 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, 16 second great-grand parents, 32 third great-grand parents, 64 fourth great-grand parents, 128 fifth great-grand parents, 256 sixth great-grand parents, 512 seventh great grandparents, 1024 eighth great-grandparents, 2048 ninth great-grand parents. For you to be born today from 12 previous generations, you needed a total of 4,094 ancestors over the last 400 years.

Think for a moment about how many struggles, how many battles, how much sadness, happiness, love stories and hope for the future that your ancestors had to undergo for you to exist in this present moment. You are the dream of many ancestors. God has been at work on your behalf.

Now that should perk up anyone’s sad day. But even more so, consider the words of Paul as he wrote to the Ephesians. In Chapter one, he goes to great lengths to highlight our spiritual blessings.

Think about these things for a moment: We are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We are chosen (for much more than a few lunchtime tournaments!). We are predestined (not an oversight). We are adopted into His family. He wants us! We have been redeemed, forgiven and His grace has been lavished on us.

Yes, it is cool to think about those 4000 ancestors all focused on us. But it is even more wonderful this week to remember the words of Ps. 103: 2-5.

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that you youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”