Rejected Blessings

I wonder how often I refuse blessings? I hope not often, but I am sure the reason God gave me today's experience with a former colleague was to teach me a lesson.

A very Christian woman I knew from high school and whom I ended up working with for a few years until 2005, returned to our campus for a visit. The person she came to see had left the site early, so she sat with the some of us while we practiced for an upcoming skit.

When we were done she shared some of the things that had been going on in her life since she left to join her new husband in a land far, far away. It's within the state but it might as well be a different universe for the culture shock she experienced. Without recounting her travails, she's making the most of her situation. She shared a story of a run-in with a student that left her wrist injured. Her range of motion is significantly decreased.

When she emphasized the extent of the damage, I assumed she was open to having it healed. More specifically, I assumed she was open to my using Reiki to heal it. I asked her to take off her watch, which she did but noticably hesitantly. I began to slide off my ring.

Noting her hesitation, I asked if she'd heard of Reiki. Considering she had once been a patron of other holistic healing therapies, I was excited to be able to offer for free and in-the-moment what I thought would help her heal.

"Oh...I've heard that energy is (polluted)."

She slid back on her watch. I remembered that this was the same woman who would be certain I was at best purgatory bound for some of my non-doctrinal Christian views. Spirituality would not be enough, nor good intentions or even good deeds without a sound doctrinal foundation.

When she tried to explain, I simply said, "I know who you are are. I know how you are."

We continued to talk without skipping a beat. And then there were more tales of less than wonderful life events.

I have to admit that I was hurt and a bit ticked that she was closed-minded about the Reiki. As I got up to leave, she asked how I'd been and expressed how youthful I looked and generally, like I was in great health. Since Reiki and crystal energy work have been part of the process in my looking and being more healthful, I shared about it despite her disinterest in receiving the energy.

And, I must admit to doing this to make a point, I shared the story about the neighborhood cat that followed me home and came back every few hours until I sent it Reiki energy. It wasn't quite this deliberate, but she did formerly own a cat and I doubted she could insist that cat's were dumb or duped by impure energy. She asked a little more about the energy. She was coming around when I said that the purity of the energy may in fact be influenced by the vessel, and that I always pray beforehand to Father, Mother Earth, Jesus and Holy Spirit... Now, I could have left out that I include Mother Earth since that is NOT doctrinal. I could have done so, but then I would have engaged in some form of subtle trickery. I knew that any points made for Reiki would be lost with the inclusion of Mother Earth as capable of being involved in blessing and healing.

I couldn't help but wonder if she'd prayed that morning for relief for her wrist.