This blessing will (hopefully) be what you need

for these days, because the world needs what you carry, needs your steady presence, your give-a-damn, your tender heart, your unflinching faith.

Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash

I suppose this blessing could
throw gasoline on the
burning rage in your heart,
igniting and becoming
a wildfire of righteous
anger. This might help
for a while. God knows 
it's appropriate to be angry.

I suppose this blessing could 
stoke your cold fears
the ones that keep you
up at night,
in fear for your children
(there is no such thing
as other people's children).
It could become a litany of
legitimate horror and anxiety,
hand-wringing and pacing beside you.

I suppose this blessing could 
excuse and mince words,
it could justify and blur the jagged edges,
it could cry, peace, peace,
when there is no peace,
and probably shame you a bit.

I suppose this blessing could
offer weak comfort and bland
generalities of passive hope.
It could pat you on the head,
ignore reality, quote Bible verses,
offer cross-stitched platitudes
of how God is in control blah blah blah.

I do wish this blessing
could fix it all,
solve it all,
heal it all.

I rather hope
this blessing will
speak from God's heart
straight to your heart,
with exactly what you need
right now.
(My expectations are very
reasonable.)

So instead, this blessing 
will be with you,
as an ancient hope,
a deep knowing,
an anchor in the storm,
and a resolute determination
to love, love, love.

This blessing isn't waiting
for everything to be solved.
It is rolling up its sleeves
and getting to work - 
that ordinary work, unsexy work,
uncredited and unacknowledged work -
and it will not be destroyed.

It will wake you 
if you are asleep.
It will comfort you 
if you are fearful.
It will offer you hope
if you are despairing.
It will bear witness to your tears
and it will remind you 
to keep singing.

This blessing will abide in Love,
then invite you to walk upon and 
make yourself at home
within that certainty
in the uncertain times. 
It will not allow you
to get away with much, 
not even hating your enemies.

This blessing will speak 
the truth to you,
or through you, or for you.
This blessing will recognize
your reality,
and it will not pretend 
to be fine, not anymore.

This blessing will prepare
a way in the wilderness.
It will meet the darkness,
face-to-face, beside you,
and hold your hand,
reminding you that our eyes adjust
and darkness can become a friend.

It will pack your bag 
for the journey ahead.
It will probably tuck in a few 
treats (but alas, never a map).
It will walk beside you
all the way into the night,
confident in the horizon's 
eventual dawn.

It will look the worst in the face
and raise its chin in defiance.
Let them underestimate you,
this blessing is resilient, it knows
you are tougher than they think.

This blessing will equip you
for all that these days demand.
It will name your grief and your fear,
your rage and your disbelief,
your hopelessness and your 
vain attempts to numb the pain,
as beloved, 
as belonging,
as born again,
as precious even as it places them 
all back into their proper homes,
and even sweeps the floor 
of self-pity and bitterness.

Or perhaps 
this blessing will let you rest,
it will tuck you into bed 
with a novel.
It will light a candle
on the coffee table
and turn off the television.
It will read aloud to your children,
and put a soup on the stove.
It will open your front door 
to the night and the stars
and the lonely.

This blessing needs your
stubborn, ridiculous,
determination to love. 
It will not tell you 
to not be afraid or angry or despairing.
It just needs you to also
become an outpost
of what you most hope
is true, even now.

This blessing will (hopefully)
be what you need,
for these days,
because the world
needs what you carry,
needs your steady presence,
your give-a-damn,
your tender heart,
your unflinching faith.

Love S.

P.S. If you prefer to listen to this blessing, there is an audio version right here for paid subscribers.

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A Blessing for Those of us who Want (or Hope) to be Surprised by Jesus

The Unexpected Jesus: Week 4 // Mary the Magdalene

The Unexpected Jesus: Week 3 // The Woman at the Well

The Unexpected Jesus: Week 2 // The Wedding in Cana

The Unexpected Jesus: Week 1 // The Incarnation