I recall seeing a refrigerator magnet years ago that proclaimed, “Bless this Mess”. The owner of the home in which that refrigerator resided was a friend of mine who was comfortable with more mess in her personal space than I was. I suspect that we have become more of who we were as we’ve gotten older.
But bless this mess we must. To bless something is to invoke an awareness of openness to God’s presence in what is. In our context it is to bless what is in the midst of pandemic, economic challenges, and the ugly wound of hatred and division in our nation and our world. For in such an invocation, we are reminded that God is present. So here goes:
A Blessing
May each breath become a prayer,
inhaling grace, exhaling peace.
May each tear that flows become
a cleansing river of redemption.
May our weeping weave a tapestry of beauty,
our laments become hymns of praise.
May each illness remind us of our fragility,
our lives a miracle of flesh and spirit.
May each morsel we consume become communion
with those who hunger.
May each act of courage reveal unknown strength.
May we remember our God-breathed nature
which makes us kin.
May we do justice, love mercy, walk humbly, be one.
Breathing hope ~ Anne
Wayfinding 