god bless you. it’s not just a replacement phrase for “kazoontite.”
what would it look like if every word that left our lips blessed those we interacted with. pair that with blessed listening…blessed touch…blessed hearts, and what a powerful effect we’d have.
it sounds so simple…
do not try to get even. do not hold anything against one of your people. instead, love your neighbor
as you love yourself… leviticus 19:18
so give freely to those who are needy. open your hearts to them. then the Lord your God will bless
you in all of your work. He will bless you in everything you do. deuteronomy 15:10
therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love,
if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete
by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit. rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your
own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. philippians 2:1-11
so, then, what stands in the way of us truly living our lives in such a way? is it too simple? or do we simply over-think the simplicity and make blessing each other a chore instead of a choice?
i’ll be the first to admit that often when i’m reflecting on my day, i zero in on the crazy things – not to mention crazy people – that crossed my path. i lose count when i attempt to think of all the things that happen in a day that leave me shaking my head in wonderment. and my first reaction to them isn’t always one of love. plus if the situation involved any sort of interaction, i’d bet “god bless you” wasn’t at the forefront of my words, actions or body language.
yet my heart’s truest desire is to bless those around me. i know that because when i don’t act that way, i know it in my head and feel it in my heart. i think there’s always that thought that crosses your mind or that little twinge in your heart when something isn’t quite right…you just have to acknowledge that thought or feeling and then do something about it. i guess you could say that the acknowledging and doing something part of this behavior are relatively knew realizations i’ve stumbled upon. and in stumbling upon them…i can’t ignore them.
greg boyd spoke to my church a few months back on this very topic – letting the word that cross your lips be “god bless you” at all times. he talked about how we are quick to judge, quick to gossip, quick to categorize people and slow to truly love, truly seek understanding, truly bless one another. i left church that night with greg’s words ringing in my heart. he had struck a chord in me, and i re-visited his message for weeks afterwards. to this day, there are still things he said that night that i meditate on.
what frustrates me is that here i am – months later – still trying to put action to the desires of my heart. it’s an ongoing exercise, thanks to God. He is patient and at the same time that He is putting new people in my path to help me practice my “god bless you” exercise, He is encouraging me.
most recently, of course, He put me with this crew of 25 world racers otherwise known as, i guess…my case studies? haha – what a case study it will be. i will continue to struggle with my selfishness. it’s amazing how introspective you can get when you live in community. you really start to see the ugly you come out.
it’s no surprise that community breaks you, shapes you and smoothes out your rough edges – and we’re only a few weeks into the trip! i want to thank my team – especially my ‘beloved one’ teammates – for their patience with me both so far and in advance for the bumps that lie ahead. i am stepping out on a journey to learn how to truly submit myself in exchange for a servant’s heart full of blessings for those around me. it will be a long process filled with trial, error and frustration, but what God will do through each of you to help smooth out my rough edges will be one of the greatest blessings of all.
