This Monday morning I am settling. Thank God the days are lengthening and I have made peace with the notion of feast days. Many of my loved ones were born in the springtime; I am not giving up celebrating them just because their birthdays don’t fall on Sundays. As I understand it, those six Sundays are technically feast days and aren’t counted in the 40 days of fasting. As if I fast. Ha.
I saved this photo of our Valentine flowers for a day like today when I am most interested in emptying myself and listening. No witty story. Simply quiet, quiet after the festival. Waiting here in my prayer chair wrapped in my rainbow blanket and shawl from Palestine. Serene.
“What if God doesn’t want to use you? What if sometimes God wants to be with you?” Cole Arthur Riley
I noticed that when I wrote about going to the movies with Mom recently, the number of responses was more than those for any other post. I was especially curious when a friend told me not to feel guilty about my frustrations when with my mother and someone else assured me it was okay to feel irritated.
Then yesterday when I relayed a loving story about Rob, the feedback was ample too.
Lest you think Mom only garners my ire and Rob my affection, let me set the record straight. I am close and generally open with both of them, thus our shared bouquet of energy is rich and varied.
Plus, it deserves saying, I think it is so human to feel mad sometimes. I can stuff my anger or explore it. I believe, at my healthiest, I vibrate around a balanced axis of “up and down” feelings. And if I try to ignore the “bad” ones, I tend to experience the “good” ones less.
Feelings are so important to me that I taped a wheel of words that describe emotions into my journal. Having it handy helps me review moments that stand-out as significant.
Almost five years ago my husband Rob had major surgery to address advanced cancer. Now, thank God, his oncologist is starting to whisper “cure.”
Yesterday, we visited a friend who had the same procedure two weeks ago. I have revisited the trauma and grief of Rob’s early recovery this week as we prepared food to take along. Late one night I reviewed five years worth of photos, searching for cartoons to send in morning texts to his wife, the ones that have been encouraging life blood for me over the years. And I wept.
As we headed home after the visit, we met the Bird King himself and marveled.
Leaning there, I was flooded with warmth and appreciation for this man, my man, who suffered so and now can be light at the end of a long tunnel for someone else.
Growing up, I vividly recall those heart-wrenching commercials portraying children in Africa suffering from hunger. It always puzzled me why such dire circumstances existed when we had an abundance of resources. As I matured, my focus shifted to addressing hunger closer to home, particularly within my community, as I pursued my role as a pastor.
Despite the challenges in my immediate surroundings, the memory of those African children lingered, and my heartfelt wish persisted for a solution to alleviate their suffering. Over the years, I yearned for a positive change and, as a pastor, my priorities naturally gravitated towards the immediate needs of my community.
Recently, my long-standing wish seemed to have found a glimmer of fulfillment. A link in my inbox led me to an extraordinary initiative known as the Great Green Wall, transforming the landscape and prospects of several African nations, including Senegal. This innovative project focuses on harvesting rainwater through half-moon trenches, contributing significantly to increased food security.
The Great Green Wall not only addresses the critical issue of water scarcity but also actively engages local communities by creating employment opportunities and fostering sustainable agricultural practices. Witnessing the positive impact on food production and livelihoods, it feels like a realization of the hope I harbored for so many years.
I encourage everyone interested in this remarkable program to explore more about the Great Green Wall through the UN World Food Programme. Could it be that my wish came true?
Un deseo
De niña, recuerdo vívidamente esos desgarradores comerciales que mostraban a niños en África sufriendo de hambre. Siempre me desconcertó por qué existían esas circunstancias tan difíciles cuando teníamos una abundancia de recursos. A medida que maduré, mi enfoque se desplazó hacia abordar el hambre más cerca de casa, especialmente dentro de mi comunidad, mientras seguía mi papel como pastor.
A pesar de los desafíos en mi entorno inmediato, el recuerdo de esos niños africanos persistía, y mi deseo ferviente perduraba por encontrar una solución que aliviara su sufrimiento. A lo largo de los años, anhelé un cambio positivo y, como pastor, naturalmente dirigí mis prioridades hacia las necesidades inmediatas de mi comunidad.
Recientemente, mi deseo de mucho tiempo pareció encontrar un destello de cumplimiento. Un enlace en mi correo electronico me llevó a una iniciativa extraordinaria conocida como el Gran Muro Verde, transformando el paisaje y las perspectivas de varias naciones africanas, incluyendo Senegal. Este proyecto innovador se centra en cosechar el agua de lluvia a través de zanjas en forma de media luna, contribuyendo significativamente a aumentar la seguridad alimenticia.
El Gran Muro Verde no solo aborda el problema crítico de la escasez de agua, sino que también involucra activamente a las comunidades locales al crear oportunidades de empleo y fomentar prácticas agrícolas sostenibles. Al presenciar el impacto positivo en la producción de alimentos y los medios de vida, parece que la realización de la esperanza que albergaba durante tantos años está ocurriendo gradualmente.
Animo a todos los interesados en este programa notable a explorar más sobre el Gran Muro Verde a través del Programa Mundial de Alimentos de la ONU. Creen que de alguna manera, mi deseo se cumplió?
Always Bridging 