“The God of your father shall help you and the Almighty shall bless you with blessings from heaven above.”  Genesis 49:25

The bible is full of blessings.  There are blessings from the beginning to the end and everywhere in between.  But one doesn’t need to look in a book, no matter how Good it is, to find blessings.  All one need do is look around, for blessings can be heard and seen everywhere.

Last evening I was blessed with a birthday gift blessing. It is in a beautiful frame given to me by a friend who is also a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association where I work.  It is a blessing specifically about work written by John O’Donahue, who wrote many blessings on a variety of topics.  I’d like to share this blessing with you.

May the light of your soul guide you.

May the light of your soul bless the work you do

 with the secret love and warmth of your heart.

May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.

May the sacredness of your work bring healing,

light and renewal to those who work with you,

and to those who see and receive your work.

May your work never weary you.

May it release within you the wellsprings of refreshment,

 inspiration and excitement.

May you be present in what you do.

May you never become lost in the bland absences.

May the day never burden.

May dawn find you awake and alert,

approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.

May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.

May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.

May your soul calm, console and renew you.

When I received this I asked my friend how she knew I loved O’Donahue.  She replied that I had shared this blessing with her and other volunteers back in March at the beginning of the whole Covid craziness.  I remembered doing so with the simple intent of providing a bit of encouragement and a brief moment of happiness.  That’s part of the beauty of a blessing.   She also told me that she had shared this blessing with many others to encourage them during these difficult days.  And that’s another important purpose of a blessing, not only to receive it but to pass it along.

This blessing gift couldn’t have been returned to me at a better time, for lately I have been burdened by my work.  I have been tired and somewhat discouraged due in part to the inability to meet with people personally.  This blessing reminded me of what a blessing it is to be blessed not only by work, but by others.  And how beautiful it is for us, often-times unwittingly, to be a blessing to others.

I wonder, who has blessed you recently?  And to whom have you been a blessing?  How might your day be a bit brighter by looking at the blessings hidden within it, even and especially in the midst of what might have become mundane work?  What blessing is hidden in the form of another person, or in the words spoken in kindness or that you have found written in a book and have been inscribed in your heart?