Good morning…
Picking up medicine at the CVS pharmacy, I passed by the notebook aisle and saw the journal above. “Start by Starting,” encouraged the cover. I felt drawn to it, the nudging words, the golden rings, the waves of pink, peach, purple. I picked it up and tacked it onto my purchase. I didn’t think another thing about it until I read her email following yesterday’s post, Refuel. Rebuild. Repair.
“Beautiful – thank you Sue!” she wrote after reading my take on our life-giving walk and talk. “Thank you for making time for me and the friendly reminder – Only God knows how to restore our delicate inner balance. I will cling to our single daily task: to love God with all my heart and my mind, my soul and my strength.
…Here’s to refueling, rebuilding and repairing. You’ve given me hope today and I’m grateful. Love you!”
As her words reflected God’s love between us, the Spirit sparked in me an inkling. Maybe that journal I bought yesterday is intended as a gift for her.
To move from grieving, distant and disconnected, to savoring and sharing the deep love of God, might we all be invited to simply “start by starting,” starting each day by placing our bare feet before God, asking, “What would be restorative?” Then we gently step into the LORD’s response.
I went to the CVS bag and pulled out the journal. I ran off a copy of yesterday’s blog post and wrote a personal note, promising to walk and talk beside her through this process of grief. I put the journal in a gift bag, fluffing it with Christmas paper, and secretly dropped it off.
What joy is ours to share when we simply “start by starting,” following the Spirit’s lead.
God’s love and kindness will shine upon us like the sun that rises in the sky. On us who live in the dark shadow of death this light will shine to guide us into a life of peace (Luke 1:78-79, CEV).
…Sue…
This pink, peach, purple pathway ahead was painted by Gina MacFarland.
