"God Bless You!" or "God Bless You?"

Good morning!  I wonder:  if I sneezed, what would you say to me?  Typically, the words “God bless you” or--so as to not offend anyone (ahem)--one might just hear “Bless you!”  in response to an explulsion of air.

A lot of times when sneezing is prevalent, these words are expressed sincerely and without thought:  they just seem to be a natural response to the situation at hand.  I mean, seriously, have you ever really heard anyone not be solicitous to the soul in need of a quick blessing as the body is wreaked with an uninvited attack on its senses?  

Why then is it when someone is asking on behalf of another for prayer, for blessings from the Lord, that so many of us stub up and instantly become defensive?  “Unh uh, Lord.  I’m not going to pray for her.  You know what she did!  There’s no way I am going to ask You to bless her life.  Why, Lord, she’s not even living for You or she wouldn’t be blatantly living her life in sin.”  

This recently happened to me.  Someone asked me to pray for a situation concerning their family.  My first reaction was embarrassing.  Though I didn’t say these words out loud, I thought them.  “Why should He?  Why should God bless them when they are only applying His Words to the parts of their lives that they need Him to?  Why, they’re making a mockery out of this whole religion thing when they expect God to bless them when they clearly have no immediate plan to live for Him first.”  Something to that effect.  Something natural?

But then, my thoughts almost immediately turned back to me.  “Why should He bless you, Stefanie?  Are your sins any less:  any less wicked, any less blasphemous, any less needy?”  See the progression there, folks?  Ugly, bad...helpless.  Those fingers weren’t pointing to someone else this time.  They were pointing at me.

Helpless.  

Yeah.  

That’s what I am.

What they are.

What we all are.  

Helpless.

Needy.

Lord, I cry out to You.  Forgive my intolerance.  My critical attitude.  My...me.

I am helpless.  I am needy.  Bless this lowly woman who often doubts, often fears, dreads, and wonders and wanders.

For Jesus’ sake--surely not for mine.  But for Christ’s sake, Father, so His sacrifice is not in vain.  Would You bless me, us, again?  

"There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!" John 9:25