The Blessing

When my sons were young, a friend of mine encouraged me to “bless” them.  I really did not understand what he was talking about, so he referred me to “The Blessing” by John Trent and Gary Smalley.  In it they explain how the biblical gift of "the blessing" is the key to a healthy self-worth and emotional well-being.  All of us need to be blessed with unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with our parents.

“The Blessing” outlines that in Biblical times a father’s blessing included five ingredients: meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and an active commitment.  I made a commitment to bless my sons.  What I discovered is that the blessing was powerful and need not be a one-time event.  I continued to “bless” my sons with intentional, regular, positive “affirmations” of who they are, not only what they did.  This idea of a blessing soon extended to others.  My intention became to bless or affirm those in my life at least once each day.  Then on special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries, everyone at the table would bless the one we were honoring, each telling them three things we appreciate about them.  The blessing also became a regular part of our staff meetings at church, as each of us affirmed the other members of the team. 

God promised Abraham that He would bless him so that he might be a blessing.  I have learned that God’s blessings are intended to flow through me to others and that giving a blessing blesses both the giver and receiver.