Blessed

After studying this week's material, I think I have always had a skewed or maybe even perverted view of what it means to be blessed. I think I have always understood the blessing to be a sign, symptom, or effect of being chosen. This is consistent with the view that Nouwen presents, but I have seen it in another fashion. Instead of being an affirmation of our belovedness from God, I have seen the blessing to be that of material items. For example, I have many times thanked God for blessing me with my wonderful family, my house, my car, my job. Further, I ask God to "bless" me with this item or that. I've never excluded any other type of blessing, but my view has always been problematic because it didn't account very well for those that I knew to be chosen of God but did not have much to show for it materially.

I think the contrast in the way I have seen the blessing is found in the blessings that God gave to Abraham and that which was given to Jesus. To Abraham, God said he was blessed to be a blessing to many nations. I've understood the concept of being blessed for the purpose of giving yourself to others, but the blessing to Abraham came that he would be the father of nations which sounds very much like monetary riches - and Abraham was blessed financially.

In Jesus, though, we see a different example of a blessing. It consists of essentially the same elements as Abraham's blessing as he is affirmed as a child of God, and further, God's very own Son. We never see Jesus, though, prosper financially (contrary to what we hear from many of today's teachers). Who can say that Jesus was not blessed of God, though? God told him that he well-pleased God, that he was God's Son, and all of this prior to his "official" ministry beginning! Further, God told the people that they should listen to him. Can you imagine the power that would give you? Can I imagine God telling me that I pleased him? Can I imagine God himself directly telling me that I am His child? What power!

This power, though, is not for me to rule over any others. Instead, I go back to Abraham to understand that I am blessed to be a blessing. First, this blessing should come through the affirmation of others in the same notion that they are a child of God and have the same inheritance and blessing He has given to me. There is something more, though. I don't believe that I am to simply speak a blessing in the fashion that Nouwen discusses through benediction, but to also be a blessing with my very life. Everything that I am and that I do is to bless and affirm the mutual chosenness that I experience with others.

Honestly, this stands in stark contrast to the way I generally engage others. I am skilled at manipulation and using others for my purposes. My hope is that I can change this and be the blessing that I am called to be. It is my dream that when I am long gone that this would continue to be said of me.