Lent #26 (Thursday, April 3)

Numbers 6:22-27

It was just a word from one human to another, spoken privately, quietly, humbly. The speaker had no ulterior motives or agendas, not even an expectation of what this word would mean or accomplish. To the speaker it was nothing more than a simple, Christian thing to do, motivated by an inner urge to give away a word to someone else. On one hand it was just a blessing, an encouragement, a word acknowledging and naming a present reality that hadn't been noticed. On the other hand, it was a word that would provide clarity, create a moment of "aha!" and would simply change everything.

And I'll never forget it.

Someone saw something in me that I had not seen and they gave me a blessing by pointing it out. It wasn't something that was coming, or even that they themselves gave me (other than the words to proclaim it); rather it was something recognized and acknowledged through a word of blessing.

At the time, I never thought of myself as a Christian leader. I was still very young (in my 20's) and was just serving in the only ways I knew how: trying to be a good husband and Dad, providing for the family, serving on a couple of church committees, assisting the pastor when he needed it, teaching a Sunday School class and leading a group of youth. It was nothing special, or difficult. Nor did I see myself as anything special, just a regular guy trying to figure out life.

That's when it came...the blessing. "I can see Christ in you!"

It wasn't from my pastor, but a friend, a mentor, a respected person from my childhood. And it changed my perspective. I found more confidence in my teaching, in my leading, in my participation on those committees, even in my work. It changed the way I prayed, saw God, saw myself, saw my future...

... of a blessing.

Henri Nouwen wrote, "To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer." He goes on to say that "to give a blessing is to create the reality of which it speaks," meaning that we are being more than "Captain Obvious" when we offer these words of observation (encouragements and blessings, not opinions and judgments), we are changing the way people think about themselves and their current and future realities. To give a blessing is not really to give anything except a word of truth, of here's what's really happening.

It's what God gave Moses to give to Aaron to give to Israel, a reminder of what God had already done and was continuing to do. "The Lord bless you and keep you."

How?

"To make his face shine on you (favor)
and be gracious to you (mercy);
the Lord turn his face toward you (God's presence and availability)
and give you peace."

Israel heard it and was changed by it. She has been affected by it ever since.

(Oh, by the way, that blessing is for you, too! Because it is your reality. It's the culmination of all God has done throughout history and especially through Jesus, just for you.)

We can't really give blessings, but we can point them out.

It's just a word...that we give to someone else...

but that word can change everything.

Peace ><>
Pastor Chris

What blessing(s) have you received in your lifetime?

To whom can you give a word of blessing today?