Irish Blessings

Year 4-Day 77: Today, I am grateful for the beauty of an Irish Blessing. 

One of my dreams is to visit Ireland. I want to see, smell and breathe in "the green".  I have always loved reading "Irish Blessings" in books, collected quotes and found them in movies like "Leap Year" where the wedding blessing is the best! 

I could watch "Leap Year"  over and over. I don't know that it is "the best movie ever" but it rings so sweet and true as the main characters learn to love, what is real...and to heal. The Bride's wedding blessing at the toast is this:

"May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn't live a day without you."

To whisper a prayer...a blessing over another...it is a gift. An Irish Blessing, with an Irish accent...be still my heart! They tend to touch multiple senses or are filled with great emotion and sentiment. 

The Irish do it well! 

The Bible has some great blessings, too!  They are found in the greetings and closing of many of the New Testament letters. As a girl, my friends from church camp were "long distance".  Such calls were not allowed in my house. We could not text.  We wrote letters.  I remember highlighting them in my Bible and copying portions to send to my friends.  They returned similar sentiments.

Paul included so many of , as relationships are deeply significant to human life! Jesus said that to get it right we had to "Love God" and "Love each other". Not just in lip-service, but in action. We can never be "good enough" to be worthy of heaven. His grace is a gift. His gift requires acceptance and belief. Belief perpetuates action. Encouragement makes our hearts lighter for the work. 

Paul wanted all of his brothers and sisters in Christ to know he cared enough to pray for them. 

" I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers.  I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy." Philippians 1:3-4  

"Thoughts of you bring gratitude and joy"...that would bless any soul.   

 "I have good reason to think this way about all of you because I keep you in my heart. " Philippians 1:7

"I keep you in my heart"...isn't that the best? 

"This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ.  I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God."- Philippians 1:9-11

"I want you to be clear on what really matters."  I love that two.  Yes, the Bible is full of blessings to quote, copy and share. 

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus guide us on our way back to you. May the Lord cause you to increase and enrich your love for each other and for everyone in the same way as we also love you. May the love cause your hearts to be strengthened, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his people. -1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Our hearts long for a reunion, with loved ones and our Lord. I think that many Irish Blessings follow a similar "pattern" of some of these Bible blessings...often ending in "until we meet again." Perhaps, that is why they are so timeless and feel special. 

Today, I am grateful for the beauty of an Irish Blessing and Biblical examples, too.