Fear Gets In the Way

Things I Want To Remember for 2010

The things that have enriched my life the most this year were the very things that I nearly walked away from, due to fear and what-ifs.

* a new address. A real honest-to-goodness home sweet home. I have a kitchen big enough to rollerskate in, a yard that is filled with trees and broccoli and tomatoes and pecans and blueberries and tulips and camellias and roses, with more to be planted in the coming years. I have a front porch, and a sunny yet shaded back porch. These are places that bring me simple joy.

Yes, there is upkeep and grown-up responsibilities, but those tasks are okay. I'm getting better about asking for help, and I'm indebted to a precious and reliable growing circle of family and friends and neighbors who have pitched in this year. This brick ranch was the not the house I saw in my mind's eye, but it has been an answer to prayer in so many ways that are beyond my earthly imagination.

* my dream job. A role that I have been preparing for since 2004, and maybe even before that. And yet, I nearly walked away from it, because again, it wasn't what I expected it to look like. And yet, somehow, it is exactly right. I'm growing and settling in. It is good.

Be well.

The Power of Touch

A dear friend of mine is a hugger... of everyone. With a simple hug, she connects with people in ways that amaze and puzzle me. With a humanity-restoring hug, she closes the chasm of enemy and stranger, and turns them into friends. She draws people to her with trust and kindness.

Her example of love in action has taught me this:

The people who seem to be the most unhuggable need a hug the most.

That simple reality has made me stop in my tracks more than once. At one time or another, haven't we all been that person who needed someone to care about us, even in our most unlovable state?

In this season of giving and gorging, a hug is a one-size-fits-all gift of yourself.

Be well.

The Best Gift

"The best of all is, God is with us."
-- John Wesley's last words, 1791