November 4, 2008
The Path
I’m Irish…well mostly Irish. Blessings are an important part of Irish spirituality and culture. You’ve probably heard many of them especially at St. Patrick’s Day:“May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you’re dead!”
Or the famous Irish benediction:
“May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”
Recently I was in the home of a friend of similar heritage. Upon his wall was a painting of a mountain path and a wonderful blessing I had never heard. It is:
The Path
“God bless the path on which you go
God bless the earth beneath your feet
God bless your destination.
God be a smooth way before you
A guiding star above you
A keen eye behind you
This day, this night, and forever.
God be with you whatever you pass
Jesus be with you whatever you climb
Spirit be with you wherever you stay.
God be with you at each stop and each sea
At each lying down and each rising up
In the trough of the waves, on the crest of the billows
Each step of the journey you take.”
At CoachNet the image of a path is how we relate to the task of coaching and leadership development. May this blessing be yours as you journey the path with those you are coaching, make you fruitful in developing them along the way and mindful that no matter how challenging the path God is always with them…and you.