November 10, 2015

Why get a blessing?

It may seem silly to ask for a blessing.  It is certainly a bit humbling to ask. It is an acknowledgement of needing another, of not being alone, and of not being in control.

And since blessings are of a spiritual nature, the mere act of asking for a blessing is an acknowledgement of the spiritual side of the world.  An acknowledgement of God.

There is an old saying that there are no atheists in a foxhole, meaning that people in dire situations (almost always) look for Godly assistance.

The obvious question is why a person’s situation needs to be dire before they ask for blessing.

Is there a psychological or spiritual impact to asking for a blessing, whether or not in a foxhole? Of course there is!

If you are a parent you have probably reminded your child to say “thank you.” Is it really necessary that they say thank you when their grandmother gives them a piece of cake – of course not.  But as a parent you probably remind them anyway – because you have a goal of accustoming you child to being appreciative of others. Each instance of saying “thank you” helps your child develop awareness and appreciation of others.

In the same way, asking for a blessing accustoms us to humbly recognizing that all blessings come from God.  O course we need to do our work – but after we have done our best we need to leave the outcome to God, because we are not in control of the world.