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Hannah's Blessing

By Brian Norsman

She was my five year-old godchild, Hannah. In Hebrew, her name means full of grace. I was living with her family for a few months as I started my first call as a Pastor.

One summer morning, I was running late for work. Anxiously, I skipped breakfast and ran out the door to my car in the driveway. I jumped in, closed the door, and turned on the ignition.

Suddenly, Hannah opened the front door and yelled from the doorstep: “Brian, you forgot something!” I thought to myself, “Ah, not today.”

“Brian, you forgot something!” she repeated. My internal stress started to rise. I was now definitely late to work. So, I rolled down the window, and impatiently yelled back, “What is it Hannah? I’m late. I have to go.”

At that moment, I experienced a bit of heaven on earth through a little girl’s grace-filled heart. Here’s the miracle that occurred: Hannah marked the sign of the cross on her forehead. As if she truly believed there was something real on her forehead, she peeled off that “cross” and threw that blessing in the air towards me. Indeed, she was “full of grace.”

At that point, I wasn’t sure what to do. I could drive away and hide my shame for being impatient or I could play the game. I gratefully chose the latter. So, I reached out the car window and enthusiastically grabbed that blessing out of midair. I took her blessing and marked it “grace-fully” on my forehead. I now felt protected, loved, and filled with God’s Spirit for the day ahead.

Thirteen years ago, little Hannah taught me playfully that I was God’s beloved child. Jesus himself took little ones into his arms, lifted them, and said we have to be like children to enter the kingdom of God. ()

How might you drop the unimportant things in your life, be childlike, and bless others today? At the doorstep as you leave for the day? In the calm darkness of your bedtime ritual? Maybe even at the sacred altar of the dinner table? With God all things are possible. If you open your eyes and your heart, grace might be thrown your way!

Brian Norsman enjoys life abundantly as a father, husband, family Pastor, and systems innovator. He resides in Stillwater, MN.

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