Generational Blessings

This weekend when I was visiting Lani in AZ (full details of that to follow) I watched the movie Ephraim’s Rescue. It’s about pioneer stuff. Particularly one guy named Ephraim Hanks who had a gift of healing. And a nice face too. At least the actor did. They also made him sort of funny, which added a lightness that pioneer stories always need.

I have talked about generational healing before and how we can inherit either genetically or epigenetically, our ancestors’ garbage. But I think we forget that we can also inherit spiritual gifts and good things from our forbearers. Yet we tend to focus more on the garbage, because many of us in this generation have the heavy job of chain-breaking and clearing all the bad stuff. I tried to concentrate and think of what good things I have been blessed with because of my ancestry, besides my good looks. J

I was stumped for a whole hour. I couldn’t think of much except the bad stuff. Finally I asked God to show me the blessings and gifts. Now I have a long list. The main thing that I am grateful for from that list is strength, though I wasn’t always. People have always told me that I am very strong. Perhaps they are surprised to discover this because I look like a cream puff on the outside.

They would say it because they saw me going through difficult times and doing alright. “You are so strong,” they’d say. “I could never do that…” etc etc. And I would wish I wasn’t strong because I know God only gives people what they can handle, and I cursed that fact that I could handle a lot.

I am grateful for that strength, and all I have been through and that my ancestors have been through. My ancestors were really strong people—like metamorphic rock.  Watching Ephraim’s Rescue will give you a

small inkling of what some of the Mormon pioneers went through. I have 3 lines of Mormon Pioneer ancestors and one of African American slave ancestors. Only the strong survived.

Yoga photo shoot in AZ. Keep cris-crossing your legs please for 5 minutes.

I have that legacy of physical, mental and emotional strength. Maybe they also accumulated trauma and garbage that I am now clearing, but I don’t feel resentful about it anymore. And wouldn’t you know it, without the resentment (for a task I probably volunteered for) it is loads easier. And I’m sure that when the baggage and the blessings/gifts weigh in on the scale, they are about equal.

What are your generational blessings or gifts? What have you done to discover and develop them?