A Blessing on Asher

"I just can’t help wondering where these feet will take him in life…"

I think she may have actually said that with each baby she held.

Each grandchild and great grandchild.

We smiled at the sentimentality, but the statement goes deep in meaning. 

There is, after all, so much potential in a life. 

Will the little boy you kiss goodnight walk without stumbling? 

Will that little girl whose dimples bring you so much joy when she giggles, climb to heights of glory in close relationship with her Creator? 

We just don’t know.

Will those little feet that tickle so easily walk straight paths or stumble? 

Will they skip through all the hard in life, or will they drag their feet on the rough pavement?

Will someone be there to catch them when they fall?

Has someone been there for us when we’ve fallen?

This life, this walk?  

It can be a struggle for us all sometimes.

When it comes to our children, if we are honest, 

as much as we want to think we would help them and be with them each of those steps, 

we won’t; we can’t.

But there is always one thing you will be able to count on.  

God can. 

 And be certain of this...God will.  

God is always going to be there,

 to point the way, to pick them up when they fall 

and to make those paths that seem so crooked into straight ones

...to give grace.

Moses may have been thinking along this line when he blessed the tribes of Israel. 

In the Message translation of Deut. 33:25, Moses said of the tribe of Asher:

“Asher, best blessed of the sons!

May he be the favorite of his brothers,

His feet massaged in oil.

Safe behind iron-clad doors and gates,

Your strength like iron as long as you live”

According to the commentaries I read about this passage, 

it looks like Moses blessed this tribe with a life of luxury!

I wonder how Asher's story continued for his family.

I'm sure they lived through hard like we've not known.

There is one thing that stood out to me in this verse.

In the King James Version, these same verses read, 

And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children;

 let him be acceptable to his brethren, 

and let him dip his foot in oil.

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

He seemed particularly interested in Asher's feet.

Maybe he understood the path would be hard that lay ahead for him.

The hope for an easy life, a safe life, can run deep in our hearts and being.

Moses blessed Asher with the ability to keep going even when the way is hard.

To find the strength to make it to the end, 

and everything he needed to be sure his feet did not fail him!

Thankful for the prayers and the blessings of older generations...

watching out for the feet and walk of the younger ones.

And for those who pray them.