Gratitude Practice 2015 Day #13 & #14: Homemade Cookies and Unnamed Kindness
Inside my faith practice, there is a line of scripture that has been on constant repeat racing through my head over and over for two weeks straight...."and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." If grown ups were gifted with the magic of childhood and granted a few Christmas wishes that would absolutely come true my humble list would include a real life remote control. I am desperate to click the pause button so we can all just catch our breath. I am desperate to rewind a bit and sturdy my head and heart so I could feel and be a bit more prepared for all that is exploding in the world right now. And I am equally anxious to fast forward...not with the intent of skipping out on anything important or essential or juicy or deserved or refining but to have a little reassurance that a calm... is and will follow the ever present storms that just seem to keep rolling in.
My heart, like so many,...is breaking! From the very real and so-outside-of-their-control-way-too-adult challenges the kiddos I work with are facing...to the ever growing contention, fear, isolation, shame and pain found inside politics... and religion....to the mass violence of terrorism...to the heart felt pleas and needs of refugees seeking asylum...to the seemingly endless anxiety, doubt and disillusionment experienced by emerging adults who are growing up in a world full of sensitivity and struggle and nuance. Holy Crap! What is happening? My heart! My head!
Recently, I read a comment on a friend's post that reframed a few things and put the "on repeat scripture" into action. The comment contained a photo of a plate of cookies and a handwritten note simply expressing love....no explanation...no suggested solutions...no excuses...no reasons or ulterior motives...just love via baked goods for a fellow human who was hurting..."and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."
Tonight, with a sleeping baby in my arms, I braced myself as I began reading my news feed...what will I see? What has occurred in the world in the last twelve hours? When will I stop wincing and feel safe enough to look with both eyes wide open opposed to slightly clenched shut? And then I found this brief article and video clip..."and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort"....an unnamed man, one who I am sure is mourning himself, comforting those who stood in need of comfort. Mourning and comforting in the way he knew how. It is a stirring image and one that my heart needed.
Grief. Anger. Disappointment. Shock. Outrage. Fear. Sadness. Seems like there is plenty of it going around and I have neither answers or solutions. But a brave woman somewhere in America baked some cookies because baking was her thing. And an even braver man in France hauled a piano into a war zone to help how he could. And today I am grateful for these two examples of what I believe to be true and right and good. If you bake, then bake something for someone who is hurting just like you. If you play, or dance, sing, or mow lawns, or prepare tax documents, or write code, or tell jokes, or fix cars, or apply Band-Aids like nobody's business.... Then do it! Do it soon. Because we've got to jump start this global and personal healing process and fast.
