I recently joined an 11-day poetry challenge, so I can do nothing but notice the format of this poem. Ok, that’s not true. I’m also noticing a theme, and I’m trying my darndest to fit it into today’s poetry prompt from the poetry challenge. We shall see what happens. What I truly wish is that I could read and understand this poem (or song) in its original language. It’s pretty bomb the way it is, though, and so full of wonderful blessings, unlike the curses which we’ve been reading a lot lately. As a missionary, I cringed a little reading the blessing of the Levites, particularly the end of verse 9: “They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children.” I was thinking of how Aaron got right back to work after God proofed his oldest sons into thin air. I was thinking of missionaries who have grown children and grandbabies scattered in all parts of the world. I was thinking of my own children and grandchildren far away. I was thinking of the ridicule and criticism that comes with going and serving. But then, I was thinking about the blessings that come with it as well, and how this morning’s poetry challenge was led by a young Cambodian man, and how through comments I was able to give him encouragement and eventually call him “bong,” or brother in Khmer, and how completely honored, shocked, in awe I am that not only do I know the word brother in Khmer, but that I have walked on Cambodian soil and have friends there, and how through technology and divine blessings I get to contribute to ministries there (from a neighboring land that I had to look up on a map before I arrived, I might add). Unbelievable. Little ol’ me. Those are the kinds of blessings God grants. Those are the kinds of blessings Moses is describing here. BIG ONES. Bigger than little ol’ me being in Southeast Asia for sure! I couldn’t help but adore Dan’s blessing. Sometimes less is more, you know? My NLT version says, “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out from Bashan.” I mean, what more do you need?
Writing (poetry) prompt: and how
What’s your favorite blessing in this chapter? Write your own poem about the section of the poem you like best, and add your own “and hows”.
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