Posted by:
GregS
(
)
Date: February 13, 2018 08:23AM
Last night while I was reading in bed and ready to nod off to sleep, my wife asked me to give her a blessing. Being a nevermo, and an atheist to boot, I was taken aback.
"You want a blessing...from me?"
My wife has been under a lot of stress in the past couple years ranging from a vindictive ex-husband, estranged children (all adults), job changes, siblings and a mother with health issues, and health issues of her own; and it weighs upon her such that she can't sleep, which only compounds things.
These are all things I've been helping her to manage and to keep in perspective. I've helped her to make plans, identify knowns and unknowns, and to have contingencies for when plans have to change. Last night I reassured her that she's doing all she can on all fronts, and that her efforts and patience are already starting to show positive results, particularly with her estranged children.
No, she wanted me to bestow a blessing upon her, complete with hands upon her head, so that she would know in her heart that everything is going to be alright. She insisted that even though I don't have the "power of the priesthood" I could still pray to God to give her the peace of heart that she needs.
I was more than a little angry next to her in bed. I thought I had already given her all the tools she would need to reassure herself, and had already assured her that things were going to plan and improving. What's with this blessing that I haven't already done for her.
Inner dialogue about my anger and options over; I proceeded to give her the blessing she requested, repeating all of the assurances that I had already given her, but as a prayer to God that he would help her have peace in knowing that all is being done that can be done.
She seemed calmer after that, but I couldn't help telling myself that this is such BS.
She has admitted in the past that I didn't need the church because I made good decisions. And as I have told her in the past, I merely do my best to analyze situations and options before acting, particularly when I recognize that I'm getting stressed and need to take a step back. I don't beat myself up over mistakes that I have made or over things I can't change. That is what I'm trying to help her do for herself so that she won't need the church either. But, as last night shows, she still needs the church as a crutch.