Blessings

Posted on by audblog
Stopping to Think

During an early morning drive to work, I encountered the Walker. I’d just crossed an intersection and headed up an incline when movement from my right caught my attention. A man, dressed all in black, strode along the road’s shoulder. It’s a miracle I even saw him. After my overactive imagination stopped shouting, “Holy crap, I could’ve hit and killed him!” I settled down enough to appreciate the fact we hadn’t collided.

I might have forgotten the incident, except a few mornings later, I saw him again. And again. In time, it became a daily occurrence. I assumed he was walking to work. Why else would he march along the side of the road at 5:45 A.M.?

He walked through the rain and through cold, windy mornings, always facing straight ahead, marching ever onward. The more often we passed, the more details I collected. He wore glasses and had a black beard trimmed close to his chin and jaws. He always dressed in dark pants, a black jacket, and a black sock cap. Sometimes, black headphones covered his ears.

On a particularly chilly morning, I got the idea (spiritually inspired?) to pray to God to give this walking man a blessing. As the weeks passed, I started to watch for him just so I could send that blessing to him. Once, and only once, during our passing, he turned his head and stared directly at my car. Did he know I’d been sending prayers his way all these weeks? Or was it just a coincidence?

When in doubt, look up

It made me wonder, though, how cool would it be to have a stranger send us blessings as we go about our day? Not exactly a “God” blessing – I’ve read the Bible enough times to know that God occasionally blesses people with metaphorical conks to the head – I’m thinking more of the kind that’s filled with grace and goodwill. Now, I hear Stan’s voice reminding me that God also sends grace-filled blessings. Fair enough. But back to the coolness of being blessed by another. What if, not just God, but strangers, friends, or family members are also sending us blessings? Wouldn’t knowing that give us a boost of resilience?

I hope so. I want to believe we’re all on each other’s side. When it rains, or when it’s cold and windy, but we still have to keep walking down the road, maybe knowing there’s a secret blessing for us out there, will make the long walk easier to handle.

The Road Less Traveled

8 Replies to “Blessings”

  1. A friend at work is very religious and had a surprising story about his brother who is also very religious.

    The brother was walking down the a city street, obsessed with God and praying and his place in the universe and what to do next and what was expected of him … I’m sure you get it, an overload of the usual stuff.

    This guy drives past him, makes a U-turn, pulls up beside the hyper obsessive brother and says, “Buddy, I don’t know you and you don’t know me but I’ve been told to tell you that God hears you and wants you to shut up.”

    The driver drives off. I consider the friend at work to be a bit odd but completely unimpeachable.

  2. I think it is beautiful. My mom always pray first for other and second for yours

  3. Aud, this is a lovely post. I hope the Walker feels your blessing. Because surely goodwill matters and makes a difference. It is a truly a lovely thing to send blessings to strangers.

    1. Thanks, Gemma. This morning I passed him and thought, “Oh no! I forgot the blessing.” Here’s hoping remembering a second later still counts. LOL

  4. I believe with all my soul that we can pray for blessings for strangers. God knows our heart and when we have a soft heart for others that alone blesses them. But when we actually pray for those who are in need, I believe God hears those prayers and shows us how we can, perhaps, be of assistance or will bless them directly. I believe that prayer is talking and listening to God. We can let the fruits of that “labor” spread to those we feel are in need. I loved what you wrote and it truly touched me. You are an empath and a peaceful person!

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