The Blessing

"...but he said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me." Genesis 32:26

The events for this entry began about a week ago as I was getting Addie ready for church. She was wearing a cute little pink dress (second picture) with white socks. I went to get her shoes and realized that she had outgrown her size 4 white church shoes.

As you know, we always try to have backups around for just such moments. I pulled our her size 5 white shoes, but they were too big (the shoes were from two different manufacturers so there was a difference in the sizes).

 I told Brian about our dilemma and we left for church 45 minutes early (I was due to work in the nursery that day, wouldn't you know!) so that we could stop at Target to pick up a pair of white shoes.

Brian dropped me off in front of the store, and I made a mad dash inside to pick out the shoes, check out, and be back in the car in five minutes. When I reached the shoes department, I was stunned to see that all of the shoes had been changed over for the fall and winter months (which technically in Florida we don't actually have- it is more like a fall/winter week or two!).

I grabbed a pair of slightly-larger-than-she-needed (not paying full price for shoes that she would out grow in a few weeks) black patent leather shoes (didn't exactly go with the pink outfit, but she would eventually need them and there was no way on earth my child was going into the nursery shoeless!), paid, and was outside in my 5 minutes time allowance.

Later that week, I began listening to a series of sermon tapes, one of which was by John Hagee called The Power of the Blessing. As I listened to the sermon I was overwhelmed by the power of putting a blessing on our children (especially the blessing given by the father).

I was in the middle cooking dinner, but I decided that right then was as good a time as any to ask God to pour out His blessings on our family. I have never been a very outwardly expressive person when it comes to raising my hands, however, in my kitchen during that moment between God and me, I lifted my seasoning stained hands and told God that I would not turn away any blessing that He would choose to bestow on us.

I asked Him to bless us to the point that we were overwhelmed and then to keep blessing. So many times we limit how much of a blessing God can give us, because in trying to be so righteous we tell God, "Only give us what we need." I found myself doing that, and I have decided that I am going to let God decide how much of a blessing to bestow.

No one knew about my prayer. It was between God and me. Then, on the following Wednesday, my friend Kristi sent me a note asking me what size clothes and shoes Addie was wearing. If you have been to her blog, you know that she has a little girl two months older than mine. After responding to her questions, she replied that she had a pair of white patent leather shoes that Julia hadn't gotten to wear because she out grew them, would I like to have them for Addie! After letting Kristi know that she was being a blessing, I just had to thank God for His answer to my prayer.

On Thursday, my father came to visit us. As he was leaving, I asked him if he would pray a blessing over us as a family and individually. According to God's Word, the blessing of a father is a powerful thing. My father seemed honored that I would even ask. I explained the sermon I had heard. Just before he began praying, Faye made me laugh when she piped in, "Oooh, I want one, too!"

On Saturday, we received our "Box of Blessings" from Kristi and Julia and there was more than a pair of white shoes in there (the cute little black shoes in the bottom picture were part of the blessing!). I am so excited that I have stories of faith that I can share with my daughter about the Hand of God in our lives the way my mother used to share with me. It did a lot to build my faith back then, and I know it will help to build Addie's faith as well.

I would encourage you to pray a blessing upon your children, have your husband pray a blessing upon you and your family, and if your father is still around, ask him to pray as well. God does hear the prayer of blessing and will bless above and beyond what you could ask or think.