Stretching

Ann Voskamp writes today about wanting to be a womb where God can dwell. I was praying something similar today, as I prayed to be a person who God could use to be a gift of grace to the people I came into contact with at work today. It was a wonderful morning, interacting with lots of people.

Then, at lunch I turned on the car radio and heard of the latest Colorado school shooting. The tears poured down my cheeks. Finally, I could not listen any longer, and turned off the radio, and just let the tears flow.

My mood changed dramatically from morning to afternoon. I just could not shake the sadness.

Then, as God does, I was given the gift of God's grace in a surprise encounter. I met a woman who turned the lights back on inside my soul. She had just lost her husband to lung cancer. She was buying provisions for a long car trip, 16 hours, for a trip back to Michigan with her two children, to be with her grandparents at Christmas.

Her grandfather is 90 years old, and has cancer. Her grandmother is 89, suffering from Alzheimers. The woman is driving all the way back from Colorado to Michigan to relieve her aunt, who has been caring for the old man and old lady. That way her aunt will be able to spend Christmas with her own family.

What a selfless woman, to be stretching herself that way, after losing her husband so recently. Stretching herself, like Mary, the mother of Jesus.

It inspired me to regain the momentum of the morning, all the while thinking of the trauma being experienced across town by so many students, staff and parents at Arapahoe High School.

Do you know who was the most pleasant person I met today? It was a woman in a wheel chair. I didn't ask her why she was in a wheel chair. I just enjoyed looking into her beautiful face and receiving from her the gift of God's grace.