Love Spread Like Wildfire

I am often overwhelmed by the daily news report. Viewings leave me sad, scared and breathless. There are killings after killings, angry people that see absolutely no good in others and “leaders” that are just after the next sound bite. It certainly does not leave one inspired. Instead I fear that it leads many to feel hopeless.

We are in a very precarious situation in which more and more people have no sense of self worth and therefore see no worth in the lives of others. If their lives are not valued why should they value the lives of anyone else? It becomes easy to dismiss the pain and suffering of others, to snuff out a life or to look the other way.

The more I think about how polarized our society becomes the more I hope for Jesus. In a society built on a treacherous hierarchy where the majority of lives were unvalued, Jesus helped the least of these realize what love is and what it is to be loved. He went into the undesirable neighborhoods and helped to reorganize perceptions of how we should treat one another. Life didn’t necessarily get easier, but communities came together and supported one another. People from different sides of town began to recognize their commonalities and found they could respect one another in this new light. Love spread like wildfire and toppled a corrupt and overbearing regime with peace.

At a loss at the continued killings and arguing over this law or that and his right and her right and so on and so on, I said to my husband, rather vehemently, the other evening, “We NEED Jesus! We need someone who can help people realize that they are loveable and have the ability to love. We need someone who can make people listen again and share kindness towards one another. We need someone who can bring us together not more and more news that will separate us.”

This, too, left me breathless, because as I called out for help, I paused and remembered the somewhat hard part; we have to be Jesus.

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) wrote “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours, yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

I am not brave. I do not have all the answers. I am kind one minute and the next something ugly can leave my lips. But I DO believe with every ounce of my body that we must not give up on love. We must keep trying to be good to one another. Instead of dismissing the anger and pain of others, could we address it with kindness? Instead of rising to anger and attack, could we instead work towards peace? Could we stop trying to get ahead of each other and instead help each other out?

I don’t know what this ultimately looks like, but there are others that do. They are out there bravely reaching out to the least of these. Marching in peace through the forgotten neighborhoods and trying to help people feel loved.

Where are the hippies now to put flowers into the guns used in the wars of our streets? Can that moment of stillness be captured again, when the man holding the gun stands still and lets someone reach him in peace and hope?

I want to make a difference and will continue to strive and do so everyday. I may fall short, but I will get up and try again.

God give me the strength to be kind to all I meet. Help me to share love in a way that others know that they are loved even when all feels hopeless. God, help us reach outside of our comfort zones into the uncomfortable space for growth of community. Help us to be Jesus to one another and to realize that we are all yours, each of us a treasure to behold.

#BeJesus #WeNeedYou

With love and light,

LT

My Mother's Hands

My skin is aging. I look down on these hands as I type, and I see a connection to great loves that have come before me. As I examine the lines forming on my left hand and touch the smoothness that still remains, I feel my mother’s hand. I see the veins that beautifully line her skin. I am a child again and holding her hand. My great aunt is suddenly with me. Her hand looks much the same, but the lines have become deeper and the veins more prominent. I still feel her sweet fingers wrap around mine. Hands. Touch. So much feeling transpires. So much love. Hold hands. Look at the lines. Look at the lifelines that run through our veins. Remember. Love. 

LT

Animals: Angels Among Us

I’ve just come back from several days spent breathing deeply and soaking in the quiet moments I could in the woods alongside a lake with my family and puppy dogs. I delighted in catching sight of various birds and wildlife jumping around in the trees and the joy of walking my dog and gazing out at beautiful landscapes.

I’m convinced animals play a significant role in spreading God’s love in the world. Their sounds and actions draw our attention away from the world we’ve created and draw us back to the beauty of God’s creation. They capture our attention and both awe us with their power and splendor and help us pause in the simplicity of their specific activities.

The animals that come even closer, those who become part of our communities and families, have the ability to draw love out of even the most lost souls. They can bring instant joy to their companions and the strangers they meet. I believe these special animals are God’s advocates and angels. Their time among us may be shorter, but their impact is powerful nonetheless. They help our hearts to grow in ways we may not have thought possible. They are sharers of instant love and joy. Why wait?

Ellie

I am thankful for all the special animals in my life, but one in particular, my Ellie dog, was sent to walk me into a new chapter of life. I knew I needed a new direction, but I didn’t know what to do, which way to go or which way to look. I found myself being pulled towards the Humane Society. When I first met Ellie, she humbly crawled towards me presenting herself as a companion in this journey of discernment. I knew she was there for me, focused on me, loving me. Together for over a decade, she filled my heart for a lifetime. Her sweet and playful, get-up-and-go spirit encouraged the same in me. I can still feel her presence and love for me and can still see her jumping through the woods off on an adventure.

Birdie dog joined our family shortly after our son William was born and just before Ellie decided it was time to go. Now a mommy to two and full of grief over the loss of Ellie, there didn’t seem to be enough room in my heart for Birdie. She didn’t complain. She spent time with my husband and enjoyed learning how to fetch. I didn’t give her much time.

Birdie

One night, exhausted and overwhelmed, I tucked myself into bed after the babies were finally asleep. Andrew was away for a meeting. As new mommies sometimes are, I found myself pretty weepy. Curled up in the dark by myself, I suddenly felt a wet nose pushing into my arm. Birdie had come to find me. Although Andrew had trained her to stay on her bed, she knew it was time to break the rules. She knew I needed her. In an instant, she opened my heart and filled it with her sweet love. Once I opened my heart to Birdie, I was happily surprised at how much my ability to love could grow.

God’s creativity in making sure that love always finds a way amazes me every time.

These angels in animals clothing are here to help us catch a glimpse of the greatness of God and to open our hearts to a greater capacity for love. I smile at the thought that they were designed in this special way to continually catch us unaware and to redirect our attention.

Thank you, God, for the creatures among us. Your love abounds!

“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” Matthew 3:16 NRSV

With love and light,

LT