Dec 8th Advent day 12

Blessing.       Earlier this year I was praying for a friend who was going through a series of tricky situations.  Work related partly and then personal too.   It was 'long haul' praying over a number of months really and in the end I started to run out of things to say.   Over a period of three or four days I found myself just picturing my friend and saying ' Bless You' over and over again.  It seemed the only thing I could pray.  And then after a few days of this I started to 'see' a picture of them with what looked like butter on their head and shoulders.  It was as though my prayers for blessing were resulting in this substance being poured out over their head.   Every time I prayed blessing I saw this image until in  the end I said ' Lord, what IS that?'   And clear as day He said to me ' Its Spikenard'.     I was out walking at the time and I was so excited I practically ran home to look up spikenard.  I Googled it ( of course) and this is what came up. ( on an aromatherapy website!!)

Spikenard was very precious in ancient times, used only by kings, priests and high initiates in Egyptian, Hebrew, and Hindu civilizations. One of Spikenard's biblical references is that of Mary of Bethany anointing the feet of Jesus with the oil before the last supper: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."

Spikenard essential oil's use in modern aromatherapy is often one of regulating the actions of the nervous system and the heart.* The psychological effects pertain mainly to the heart-center and ethereal soul. With its warm and earthy aroma, Spikenard helps sooth the deepest forms of anxiety, and like Myrrh, can instill a profound sense of peace. Spikenard oil is indicated for the individual who, searching for spiritual certainty, struggles in vain to find the stable ground of faith. It is then that the 'release' into spiritual openness may be of great assistance. 

The last bit about finding the stable ground of faith was absolutely spot on for my friend.  I couldn't believe it.  I was so excited that this is what my prayers for blessing were achieving.

This whole thing set me off on a bit of a quest to find out more about blessing.  I haven't got very far.   I came across  The Grace Outpouring, a book about a guy in Wales who has been praying for blessing and what is happening there.  Well worth a read.   But then today on FB Marjory Morrow posted this.  A translation from the Hebrew of the blessing of Aaron in Numbers 6.24 ( The Lord bless you and keep you  etc)

  'May the Lord kneel before you to bless you and may he hedge you about with his protection, watching and guarding you. May his whole being become brightly illuminated on you as he shows you favour and consideration. May the Lord raise himself up to show you the presence of his face, fixing firmly in place health, wholeness, prosperity and contentment in your life.'

So this is a more literal translation of that very familiar prayer. Its what it actually means.  Pretty cool eh?  Thats what Im praying for you my friend today. :-)