“I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”
~Ezekiel 34:26

The past two days I have been at a reunion gathering at the seminary from which I graduated. It was a wonderful two days of seeing old friends, learning of their lives, worshiping together and attending smaller classes in rooms where we once spent some long, arduous and inspiring hours. I walked into the room where I studied Historical Theology and still had a visceral feeling of anxiety! It was a time of great joy and good memories.

One of the sampler classes I took was on spiritual pilgrimage, something near and dear to my heart. In setting the stage for her talk, the instructor spoke of how our lives are really acts of spiritual pilgrimage if we pay attention. She shared an experience she had had recently at a gathering for spiritual directors from a variety of faith traditions. She told of one of the Jewish directors talking of the invitation to those she companions to carry out a day of 100 blessings. This practice is common to their tradition and involves offering 100 blessings during a given day.

Can you imagine such a day? The thought energized me and sent me from what had actually been a dark, basement room into the rest of my day full of light and excitement for the possibility of choosing a day of 100 blessings. Which day should it be? Are there days of the week that are better than others for offering blessing? How will I keep track? Will I carry a small notebook to write down each blessing so I can account for them all at day’s end? Should I begin as soon as I wake up or wait till I walk out into the world? The questions and plans for such an endeavor are staggering!

But perhaps I am making this all too complicated. Blessing, after all, can become second nature if we are attuned to our walking in the world in ways that already recognized the Divine who walks with us in countless ways. Blessing literally means ‘the act of invoking divine protection, aid or approval.’ And just what part of Creation would we deprive of such a gift?

So, even though I didn’t declare this a 100 blessing day and I have no systematic way of counting or collecting, I will do what needs to be done. Blessings on the eagle that flew over my path this morning as I awakened to the world. Blessings to the barista who smiled his sweet, Nordic looking smile as he handed me my coffee. Blessings on the painter who always sits at the coffee shop smelling of the same after shave my father wore. Blessings on the tiny worm(what kind were you?) that crept across my path inching its way to(please!) safety. Blessings on the runners I pass everyday and the man who walks with his arms straight out from his sides like he is about to take flight. Blessings on all the road workers in their brilliant, gaudy green jackets. May you be safe from all moving traffic. Blessings on all my co-workers who smile and laugh and work so hard on behalf of so many. Blessings on the young woman who cleans the bathrooms whose story I do not know but who often looks as if she could use a good hug. Blessings on the oak tree outside my window which is laboring to give birth to leaves. Blessings on the little boy who filled me with such joy when he told me he was pretending to be a pirate. Blessings on the little girl who struggled to remember how to spell ‘remember’ and when she did looked so pleased. Blessings, blessings, blessings.

I see now that it can take very little time to offer 100 blessings if you put your mind to it. In fact, if a person wanted to they could offer thousands of blessings in one day. Who or what in your life needs a blessing? How will you invoke divine protection or approval on those you meet? I suggest getting an early start. It could take a lifetime.