(Our guest blogger today is Denise Johnson. Thank you Denise! Friends, please send along your guest blog posts, we love them!) Blessings have been on my mind lately. I found myself drawn to them as a way of coping with the nonsense and chaos of our present moment. Once on my mind, I then decided at the close of each day to record what blessed me. This way I would end on a happy note and fall blissfully asleep. Hasn’t exactly worked as planned. I forget many nights, have trouble sleeping and wake up annoyed at both my negligence and the world.
In the introduction to his book, To Bless the Space Between Us , author John O’Donohue writes: “It would be lovely if we could rediscover our power to bless one another. I believe each of us can bless. When a blessing is invoked, it changes the atmosphere.”
If we can say anything about these times, it’s that our atmosphere certainly needs changing. From the atmosphere surrounding our toxic words to our toxic behavior to our toxic climate, change is needed. So perhaps we can start by blessing each other. A simple way to honor the ordinary in the life we share together. A small act to open a better way forward.
O’Donohue goes on: “Whenever you give a blessing, a blessing returns to enfold you.” These are words we’ve often said ourselves. When we bless, in even the smallest way, we always receive more than we give.
One of my favorite blessings comes from Psalm 121:8: The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. Simple yet profound. Acknowledging the holy in the ordinary activities of life. May these ancient words enfold you this day and may you pass them on to others.
Denise Johnson
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