Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Blessings for an Ordinary Day

 

May You

“May God bless you with discomfort

at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people

so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears

to shed for those who suffer pain, hunger, and war

so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world

so that you can do what others claim cannot be done

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.”

A Franciscan Benediction

          This blessing is in keeping with my “ray of sunshine” image. I saw it on Facebook and adopted it right away. It isn’t one of those frou-frou blessings that sounds like a Hallmark card designed by somebody who lives on a pink cloud. It just gives you the low-down on why we get to experience all the painful emotions we humans have and keeps you from feeling too good about yourself! I’m all about that, as you know.

          Actually, I prefer John O’Donohue’s blessings because they almost all relate to the earth and its constituent parts: “As high over the mountains, the eagle spreads his wings, may your perspective be larger than the view from the foothills…” Oh, yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!

          So, here’s my humble mountain woman blessing for today: “May you live this day as though you had the wings of an eagle, to soar above the mountains and ride the currents until your heart sings with joy.” Amen.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane

                                                 

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