Jewish families have a tradition that has been repeated every Friday night for millennia as Sabbath begins. The parents gather the family around them and every child is blessed by the father or mother.
Blessing involves speaking a positive message about someone out loud in front of others. The blessing message contains several elements. The first element is identity. The second element is destiny, which we will look at next week. Woven into both elements is a message that the parents believe in and value their child.
Our identity is sets us apart as being different from every other person on Earth. “You are unique, just like everybody else!” Sarcasm usually accompanies this ironic truth, but the irony in it does not negate the need we all have to hear and believe that we personally have some distinct purpose for being here on Earth, and are not a mere coincidence or accident.
The truth of their unique identity is a message that all children need to hear often, and come to believe in their hearts. Will you try it out? You could even do it each Friday night as the Sabbath begins.
Here are two practical ideas:
Name - The meaning of a child’s name can be a powerful tool for blessing them. Communicate to your children that they were thought of and valued even before they were born. You named them because they were special to you and you wanted to give them an identity that matched the value you placed on them. Share the meaning of their name and include what that meaning may say about who they are. (i.e. Matthew = Gift of God, and my parents shared that they believed that I was truly a gift to them from God)
Positive Character Traits - Publicly share the positive qualities you see in your child. This also includes special talents or spiritual gifts that you believe they have.
