Sunday, October 15, 2017

29 things I'm thankful for

One of my dearest friends always writes a list of
Things she's thankful for on her birthday,
And I adopted the tradition a year ago as well.
I'm a little late in writing this but here goes
I just turned 29 on Friday so I'll give 29 things I'm thankful for 
After having lived for 29 years.

1) Jesus's death on the cross, because without that nothing else on this list matters
2) forgiveness, this year especially as I have been humbled recently by my own sin
3) deepening friendships
4) grace that is undeserved and seemingly never ending
5) a new gift of life
6) the strengthing of old relationships
7) family
8) the love of my son
9) a stable income
10) a home
11) our church
12) caffeine
13) trustworthy care takers
14) unexpected gifts
15) running vehicles
16) precious sleep
17) small group
18) the ability to meet the needs of others
19) our needs having been met
20) never lacking food
21) down time
22) Daka
23) lessened anxiety
24) answered prayers
25) observing The Holy Spirit move in others
26) provision
27) a deeper understanding of hurt in the world
28) the e desire for change 
29) empathy

I am so thankful for another year of life that I have undeservedly been given,

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Ready to listen

I know the Lord called us here.
St. Louis is my home.
This is my city.
And it is breaking.
As a white middle class woman
I can easily avoid the conflict
And ignore the racism and the social divide
But I don't want to do that.
That's not why we are here.
After yet another blatant disregard 
to the lives of those of color in this city
I can't just sit and watch, read, hear, etc.
The opinions of those like me.
Is it not obvious that something is wrong?
Is it not obvious that the fear and the anger
Is coming from a place of legitimacy?
Please, if you were like me, stop ignoring what is happening.
Notice that the people of color in our city are hurt.
Let us listen to them.
Black Lives Matter
But the message that we as white people are sending is that they don't.
Whether we mean to or not,
Good intentions aside.
Our disregard
Our judgement
Our unwillingness to listen
To fight for the marginalized
Says that we believe something else.
Black Lives Matter
But until our actions and our words
CHANGE
They won't.
Black Lives Matter.
Stop analyzing the response
Listen to the message
Black Lives Matter
I can't even begin to imagine that I know
The suffering of the people in this city
But I'm ready to listen 
Are you?