Blessings & Benedictions -- Learning from Children

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,
and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Hebrews 11:20-21 NIV

The letter to the Hebrews is one of my favorite books in the New Testament. I have spent lots of time in that momentous letter. But one time, when I was making my way through Hebrews 11, I read, as if for the first time, about two patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Hebrews 11:20-21 NIV

It wasn’t the key word “faith” that caught my attention, but the word “blessed.” By faith, these “patriarch - dads” blessed their sons.

Years before, I had read the book The Blessing by Gary Smalley & John Trent. In that wonderful book, the authors explore our human need for approval and validation. They show how this need was met in the Biblical blessings given by fathers to children. And they also shared how we could also do this for our children today and for others we care about.

The authors listed 5 elements to the Blessing:

Meaningful touch
Spoken words
Expressing high value
Picturing a special future
Active commitment

I intended to use what I learned from this book to bless my own young adult children and the ladies in my Bible study group. I basically left it at that, but God had other ideas.

I had been teaching PreK at a Christian school. It was a small class of just five precious four-year olds. And we had bonded throughout that school year. Now it was the last day of school. We had been through a lot together -- field trips, singing, snacks, crafts, counting, bible stories, reading books, puzzles, and lots more.

And now the end -- always a mixture of sadness and nostalgia and the loss. It meant saying “good-bye” to this sweet group of little persons, nevermore under my “tutelage.”

So at the end of class that day, each child gathered his things in his appointed box for the last time. We were all lined up and starting to walk down the hall out when the Holy Spirit stopped me … "Bless them."

“Bless them?”

The Holy Spirit insisted, “Bless them.”

So there in the hallway, I laid my hands on each of those sweet children, one by one, and prayed over each in turn -- unique words and blessings for every child. I was in tears.

But what I'll never forget are the eager little faces. They were like little birds with their mouths open wide to receive -- each child waiting his turn to be blessed. No dry eyes for me and a lesson learned in the value of blessing others.

We may not have received the needed blessing of affirmation from our own dads. No matter. We can receive and actually must receive blessing from our Heavenly Father.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places ... Ephesians 1:3

And then the amazing and wonderful thing is we can be our Father God’s instrument of blessing to others. We can be His voice of affirmation and hope, His hug of love and tenderness, and His tears of joy and delight.

Friends, is there someone in your life that needs love and affirmation? hope and encouragement? Why not speak a blessing ... and be a blessing.

Bless My Friend

Dear Lord, when I ask you to bless my friend
Will you show them your favor and grace without end?
Will You lead them and make their path straight without bend? Will You make them aware of Your presence and then
Protect them and guide them toward You till the end?
(Penny Mandeville)

Prayer

O Abba Father God, Lover of heart and soul. You have blessed me abundantly with Your unconditional love and acceptance and grace. You have healed my soul of the many lies I have believed about Who You are and Your attitude toward me.
Now in Your mercy and abundance, may I be Your instrument to speak blessing into the lives of those who so desperately need to hear from You, their Loving Creator Father God.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Reflections

There are many opportunities to bless others. Children and adults (“children incognito”) are hungry for our Father God’s blessing – through you and me.

Watch for the opportunities God sends your way. And then step out in faith -- open your mouth, and say those life affirming words someone may be longing to hear.

Write that note, send that text or email. Communicate what the Lord gives you for that precious person whom He loves. Speak a blessing. Be the blessing.

My dear neighbor and friend Jackie describes the “Blessing of Children” at her church:“We practice and teach weekly blessings of God, offered to children in a time of prayer and blessing. After prayer, there is a blessing of God offered to each child, by name.

“____ , God created you, God loves you, God is with you,

God blesses you - to be a blessing.”

Then, we offer a tangible example of God’s blessings, by marking a sign of the cross on the hand or arm of the person.

“Go and be a blessing, dear __ .’”

Jackie Nowak, Founder, The Blessing Center Collaborative

When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them.
It may take a second to say, but for them it could last a lifetime.
Author Unknown