I saw a few weeks back that Ricky Skaggs, probably my all-time favorite country/ bluegrass artist, had a biography coming out. It’s been informative and entertaining. The book takes the reader through the backwood streams and “hollers” of bluegrass history, involving Ricky’s upbringing and rise to fame, with stories of early bluegrass pioneers, including his heroes Ralph Stanley, and Bill Monroe in particular.
The sweetest and most tender part of the book, in my opinion, comes in its last quarter. By this time, around the mid-’90s, Ricky’s record sales had dropped considerably, compared to his “high cotton” days of chart success during the ’80s. As a born-again Christian since his teens, Ricky had by this point recommitted his life to the Lord. Now he and wife, Sharon, were hosting prayer meetings in their home. On one particular night, Skaggs invited Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass, over to one of the meetings. Monroe agreed to come, but when it was time for the couples to break out and pray, Monroe, who came alone, didn’t have a prayer partner. So he asked Ricky and Sharon if they’d pray for him.
Skaggs revered Bill Monroe all of his life—ever since he was a little kid and first heard that old 1923 Gibson Loar F-5 mandolin (pictured below) pounding away over the radio from the Grand Ole Opry. He even got to play that very mandolin when Monroe visited his eastern Kentucky community for a local school house concert, and the inventor of bluegrass himself pulled the then 6-year-old Ricky up on the stage to play.
Now, thirty-plus years later, Ricky stood there before the elder statesman, and this time he asked Mr. Monroe to pray a blessing over him. Ricky explains that he got on his knees at Monroe’s feet and asked him, “‘Would you bless me like a father blessing a son; would you pray that I’ll be a caretaker of this old music?'” Monroe agreed, bowed his head and said these words over Ricky—ones that he’d never forget: “‘Lord, would you just give Ricky the love for the old music, like you’ve given me through the years, and help him carry it on? Bless him and his family.'” Ricky went on to say,”With his hands laid on me, he gave me his blessing. (p.283)”
Speaking a blessing over someone doesn’t have to be a sophisticated, fancy event, or a verbose statement filled with theological phrases and religious mumbo-jumbo. It is a powerful gesture of love, faith, hope and belief in someone. I believe everyone has the power to bless, and it’s something that is said verbally and not inferred; it’s spoken clearly to those we bless, and not left for interpretation. Even telling someone “I love you” or “I’m sorry” is a blessing in itself.
The spoken word is powerful. I want to use my words to leave a positive legacy in people’s lives, especially within my own family and to those with whom I work closely. Lord, help me speak a blessing to someone today!