Month: September 2012

One Grain at a Time

It’s hard to feel like the things we do make a difference. The dishes I wash will be dirty again in a moment, a single call or letter to a legislator has little impact, and more often than not the words of wisdom I impart on my child have no effect at all. Sometimes it helps to take the long view—the really long view—and remember that the Grand Canyon was carved by water and wind one grain of sand (or boulder) at a time.

How do you see that you have shaped the world when you take the long view?

Holding Hands

When was the last time someone held your hand to cross the street? I suppose there really is no magic safety that incurs from holding a parent’s hand through a crosswalk—cars can, and do, crash into parents as well as children. But who wouldn’t want to invoke that small magic? Don’t we all want to feel safe holding the hand of someone we love?

Who can make you feel safe, simply by the touch of their hand?

Over the Fence

When you were a child, did you ever lose a ball over the fence, a Frisbee onto the roof or a kite into a tree? It’s hard not to panic when something you care about suddenly slips out of sight. Sometimes we managed to get those beloved playthings back, and sometimes we didn’t. But not too infrequently, when you went looking for the item that escaped, you would find something else entirely, something you thought was gone forever, or that you had completely forgotten about.

What have you found when you were looking for something else?

A Wider View

In this time of intense political fervor, when stakes are high and opinions strong, it’s all too easy to become entrenched in our own particular viewpoint, and to dismiss anyone whose world view is different as an idiot. Sometimes our mental and spiritual health requires that we take a step back and try to look at the world from a broader angle, to walk out of the trees and gaze at the horizon.

Where do you go to gain a broader perspective on life?

Taking Time to Water

This time of year, many gardens are beginning to look a bit crispy around the edges. Surely the rain will fall soon, and spare us the effort of having to water! But sometimes you simply have to take responsibility for watering your own garden.

Sure, there will be moments of deep grace when the rain falls from the sky and you are suddenly, blessedly, refreshed. But more often, it is up to us to make a time and place for our souls to drink deep.

How will you nourish your roots today?