BLESS YOU
As the birds start to chirp announcing longer days and the buds begin to explode from their winter cover, many of us also begin to sneeze. "Bless you," is a common response we share with our neighbour, that is, if English is your mother tongue.
I've checked with Wikipedia and there is a long list of responses to sneezes in many languages, most of them are translated as "to your health." Our Dutch friends say, "Gezondheid," and that literally means "health."
It's wonderful that we bless each other when we sneeze, but wouldn't it be amazing if we blessed our neighbour even when we don't? One of the blessings I often hear when I visit people is "God bless you" and I go from their presence feeling particularly peaceful and lighthearted.
One blessing that I offer is, "May you bless God where ever you go, and may you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet..." Perhaps we need to remember that a blessing that invokes the peace and presence of God is more than a "throw-away" line; we are calling upon the power of God to bless us on our journey.
What a difference it might make to a lonely heart, or a troubled mind, to hear a word of God's blessing. What might be even more powerful is our recognizing the face of Christ in the one who both receives, and gives, such a blessing. Let's try it today: "May God bless you!"
