God has a message for you today… yes, you! … and here it is:
YOU are a BLESSING.
And if you are thinking “ Um — I really don’t think so …” God says: “ The message is not negotiable. That’s the way I created you. You ARE!!” Period.
And not only are you a blessing just by BEING who you are, but you have the power to bless everyone else you encounter too. The Dalai Lama was once asked a question: What can we do to bring about world peace? The answer: First, cultivate peace in your own heart — and then share it with everyone you meet. In other words, BE A BLESSING.
So, how does one do that, exactly? In his book THE GENTLE ART OF BLESSING, Pierre Pradervand says to be a “blessing” is to wish from the bottom of your heart the absolute BEST for someone— their complete fulfillment, deepest happiness, peace, joy, wholeness…
Blessing can take many forms — it can be a hug, a kind listening ear, undivided attention, a smile, a pat on the back — or just a glance. It need not even require a lot of words!
WHAT MAKES IT A BLESSING IS THE SPIRIT WE BRING TO IT.
There are no set formulas to a blessing … the only requisite is to feel such deep love in your heart for the other person that all other feelings are overcome. It is impossible to bless someone and at the same time be judgmental, angry or resentful! Who has the power to bless??? EVERY ONE OF US!
Blessing is not a technique we perform, but a PRESENCE we embody — a relationship we form with those we meet — WHEN we make the decision to meet every person with loving kindness. The most important dimension of blessing is the “total sincerity” part… It is the energy of our absolute LOVE for the other person that has the power to transform and to heal. Pradervand says that we ALL need to rediscover the power to bless one another in every interaction. That’s how world peace begins…
To bless someone is to offer a beautiful gift from your soul… and though it is an invisible gift — not a gift tied with ribbons — it has the power to transform a relationship in ways that a gift of gold or diamonds cannot match. I invite you to listen to THE BLESSING, (click here for the music link) a truly lovely choral anthem arranged by Heather Sorenson. The text (from the book of Numbers 6: 24-26 ) asks that God shine God’s face upon you…
It is in the art of “being a blessing” to the people we meet during our lives, that we each become the FACE OF GOD for each of them… Amen.