Last week in my classes, we wrote the Blessing of Aaron as a memory verse. Found in Numbers 6:24-26, God commanded the first high priest of Israel to use these words to bless his chosen people:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
We spoke of the human need for approval and how parents can have such an effect on the self-worth of their children. We talked of bedtime rituals and how moms and dads can make their kids feel important and ease their fears. I told them about how my folks tucked us in when we were small, prayed with us, and kissed us good-night. With that discussion as background, I gave each student a sheet of paper and had them pen a bedtime blessing to the child they will bring into the world in future years. Tonight, and in the coming nights, I'll let some of them speak for me. The boys' blessings are in blue, the girls in purple.
"My Son, I pray that the sins of my father and I will not hold you in their grips. I asked the Lord to not let you walk down the paths that we have walked but to follow the few good paths we have taken. I bless you with the blessings that have been given to me; hard work, determination, faith, compassion, passion, and protecting the ones you love even if it means your life. With these blessings, I also curse any flaws that you might inherit from me; pride, arrogance, stubbornness, revenge. May you always make your mother proud; you can do that by first listening to God and not yourself. It is a terrible feeling to see that disappointment in a mother's face. May God bless your walk; He will be with you when I cant be.
Love, your father"
S.- senior
"I want you blessed in ways I wasn't. I want you to be raised in a home where your parents care about you and place you ahead of them always. I want you to be better than I am. I want you to live as I didn't. I want you to be stronger and smarter than I ever was. I want you to go to higher places. I want all of this for you, but God wants even more."
C.- sophomore
"My sweet angel, God is the writer of your life, and I am only here to help you read the pages. I love you unconditionally, and that will never change. Always put God first in everything you do and never give up. I pray everyday for your well being, and hope in that you strive to be more like Christ everyday. Everyone makes mistakes because we are human, but only Christians admit and recognize them so we may reach our final destination of heaven together one day. Remember there is always hope for tomorrow and you are never alone. God and I are always here for you, no matter what. Be yourself, live life, love always.
Your mommy and number one supporter."
C.- sophomore
"Dear little angel, I first want you to know that I love you and the rest of our family more than anything else on this earth and I would never say or do anything to you that would harm you in anyway. I will pass down the words my parents said to me in hopes that you will pass these words down as well. Please remember that you are the head, not the tail. You are above, and never beneath. You can do ALL THINGS in Christ who strengthens you. I would give my life in order to keep you safe, and vice versa. God sent you to me as a beautiful gift that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Love you always, Mommy."
L- 8th grade
"My baby girl,
You awoke this morning to be wherever it is you wanted to be. Your mother and I love you very much and we are glad to say that what you want is what we want. We always want you to have fun and be full of joy throughout the day. However, whenever you feel your heart is shattered and have no where to run, just turn around, because we are behind you in everything you do. Open arms are always welcoming your every move, so move in the way you like. I tell you this: when you are feeling no love and you feel like your life is going nowhere, take a minute and look up. Remember that the Heavenly Father has his left hand on your right shoulder. He is always there for you when you feel your worst. Now it is time for you to rest your sweet head; we love you. Goodnight my beautiful baby girl, sleep well."
J.- 11
"My precious child, I was 25 years old when you were born. Twenty-four years before, I was put into an orphanage and adopted by a loving family a year and a half later. The loving family gave me hope, and the ability to know what being loved is like. I now pass all of this knowledge to you. I want you to know that I love you, and even that is an understatement. My heart goes out to you, and you are the reason I stay on the earth. The Lord will enter your life and give you strength; you will grow with passion and love for the Lord. I thank you for giving me such happiness, I thank you for all the times I will smile when I see you. I will pray when you are in trouble, in pain, or lost. May you always know that your father and iIlove you till the end. You mean everything to us. We want you to know that you will always be cared for and always have someone to look up to. God bless you and lead you through your pain with happiness and hope. That's how I made it, and I know you will, too.
Love, Your Mother."
J. - junior
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Hi there Steve,
I found your blog on another of the blogging sites I read.
It's not often you see male bloggers. What has my curiousity up is just my own interest in sharing testiment of faith to those that are unsaved, and continued living in the light of god as a witness to other brothers/sister in Christ.
Part of my blog creation was just that. Just trying to put something out there and share with others of how the good lord has helped me through walking through the fire starting in 2006.
Feel free to visit my blog. Maybe you can share some comments.
Take care,
Viola of
www.alongawidowedroad.blogspot.com
Poway, CA (Borders San Diego)
Post a Comment