Anointing Alexey

A conversation with my 8.y.o. son, Alexey, while we are getting ready for school this morning....

"What's that stuff, Dad?"

"That's a vial of oil. We used it this weekend to anoint one another."

"What's anointing?"

Dad then does his best to describe anointing....a symbol of God's promise, blessing, being set apart, of God's spirit falling upon you, part of a prayer....way to much info for an 8 y.o.

Alexey resumes working on his math sheet....then asks....

"Do you have to be a certain age to be anointed?"

"Nope - would you like me to anoint you?"

"I dunno."

Dad continues to fold clothes, pack snacks, start the grocery list for the day.

"Hey dad, yeah, I guess I'd like to be anointed."

So we finish up a few things and I get distracted by something and a few minutes later Alexey says - "Don't forget to anoint me!"

So I stop. I grab my bible...we read a couple of passages that speak to anointing from James and Psalms. I share with him what I will do - pray a blessing over him while I anoint his head with oil in the sign of a cross.

"Do I close my eyes?"

"You don't have too."

I anoint my son. He is looking at me as I pray for him. His eyes are SO big. Jesus is living there.

We finish.

"Can you see it?" "What's it look like?!"

We go to the mirror and look. You can see a small, shiny cross on his forehead.

"Can you still see where you got anointed?"

"Nope - I've washed my head too many times since then."

"Hmmm.....hey Dad - want to wrestle!?"

And life goes on.....Praise God from whom all blessings flow.