This thought was first published in September 2020
In his book “A Priest to the Temple” George Herbert is saddened that so few people greet each other or say goodbye with a blessing. In his letters, Paul is consistently blessing the people he writes to and urges them to bless each other. When did you last bless someone?
Considering our garden, I come to our bay tree. There’s an old tradition that planting a bay tree by an entrance wishes a blessing on all who come in or leave. Our tree lived beside our back door for several years, constantly outgrowing pot after pot, getting bigger and bigger. When we moved here it was planted in our garden as we had always intended when we bought it from the Bruisyard herb garden all those years ago. It had been a mere four inches tall when we bought it; now it has to be cut back regularly and its roots can go down as deep as it likes.
As this tree grew it gave me its leaves for delicate flavourings when I cooked. Now it grows enough for me to give away abundantly. Then it was a link I could consider as I thought of where I wanted to be and increasingly felt led to go, a Suffolk tree which could only find a permanent home in a Suffolk garden. Now it stands supporting other plants, encouraging wild life and simply looking right.
God blesses us constantly. Sometimes we are aware of this; sometimes his blessing slips quietly into the background and routine of our lives , but the blessing is always there. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a blessing and to live lives which are a source of blessing. But sometimes we need to make that blessing more obvious, and so we come back to the original question for serious consideration – when did you last give someone a blessing?
Prayer: Father God, who constantly blesses and who is always there for us, grant that we may be people of blessing, witnessing and reminding people of your love. And through that blessing, may others come to know your love and come to understand your salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.