EACH DAY, every moment,
you place your hand of blessing
upon the brow of creation.
In your touch, in your words,
everything flowers,
everything remembers
the deep, perfect loveliness within.
The deep, perfect loveliness of you.– Sam Hamilton-Poore
Earth Gospel: A Guide to Prayer for God’s Creation
The Kit Kids and I do a little practice every night as much as possible, as long as I’m around before they sleep. We’d give each other a hug or in tonight’s case at least a hook with our pinky (like giving a promise) to bless each other before we sleep.
It’s a little adaptation from what I learnt from Faith Inkubators. When possible I do the full thing below. Tonight, Gareth was too tired and already falling asleep so we jumped to number 5 🙂
What’s important though is not so much of getting it all done every time, though I’m hoping we’ll grow more and more consistent each day as the practices of Examen, meditation/reflection, mutual conversation, prayer and blessing is cultivated each day, whatever happens let’s still share a blessing with each other.
And the blessing interestingly, begins when we fall asleep. When we are not geared up for activity, but on the contrary when we are entering rest. I think I recall Eugene Peterson mentioning somewhere that it’s evening and morning and one day. The day begins when we are asleep, and that’s quite counter cultural in our achievement oriented environment. It’s not that we don’t what to get any thing done, or don’t want God’s blessing on our efforts. Who doesn’t? It’s more like, the blessing begins at the most quiet and hidden moment, when we’re not even doing anything yet! In fact, we’re slipping into deep sleep and totally not in control of anything at all.
Humbling, sobering, reorientation of perspectives, reordering of attitudes, and in many ways liberating.
When we’re in touch with His touch, it makes all the difference. Everything God touches is blessed. And I suppose that’s what we need these days. A blessing not trapped by our own agendas, our own egos, our so called strategies and plans, though all are no doubt part and parcel of the journey. A step back, to get back to the true origin of blessing is a good place to start.
I look forward to see everything to flower in his time. There so many people I pray his hands of blessing will touch this day. I bring them to God in prayer now. Many whom are broken, humbled, suffering, judged, etc. There are so many situations I pray will flower again in due time. I submit them to God in prayer now. What may seem hopeless, uncertain, painful, etc.
May the perfect loveliness spread now, on the eve of Palm Sunday, on the eve when those of us who are Christ-followers may have forgotten the blessing which comes to the world came through the path of suffering.
