This question reminds me to be aware of what my blessings are. Oftentimes I tend to go on cruise control, neglecting to be aware of all the gifts that I have been given and thus all the gifts that I can share with others. Sometimes, the blessing could be listening and another time it could be a meal or a laugh. Being aware of all the blessings I have will help me be able to bless each unique person and circumstance that I encounter throughout the day. I cannot worry if my gifts improve another person’s life but, I can choose to love those around me and offer my gifts and blessings freely.

I was walking along a river yesterday in a light rain. As I watched the rain drops fall into the river I saw how graciously the river included each rain drop into itself. It made me think about radical inclusion and how I may be able to warmly invite people into my life without reservation. I love a quote that is like a life hack for inclusion. It goes, “Welcome the stranger like you were expecting them.” I think our first step in including folks that may not normally be a part of our daily rhythms is to welcome them like we were expecting them. To, as the river so amazingly showed with the rain drops, welcome with arms wide open and a heart that does not stand content with separation and borders.

There are a number of homeless people that congregate outside my office during the day. While I have growing friendships with a number of them, there are still many folks that I see each day and whose names I do not yet know. I am going to practice the welcoming them as if I were expecting them mentality today and get to know my neighbors right outside my office door.

First, I agree with the idea that being in nature is magical. Whether it has been standing in the middle of a river fishing, trail running through mountains with the most spectacular views, feeling the power of crashing waves or standing in a garden tending plants and soil, I feel different being in nature. Secondly, I think it is equally magical when we as people find the sacred space of connection with one another. It is a magical and miraculous thing to me that two people can connect beyond a surface level and really affirm one another at a deep and vulnerable place. This blows my mind and I am so grateful to have experienced human connection like this before.

My initial response to this question is to speak out loudly against all manner of injustice. However, upon sitting with this question a little longer, I think the first step in creating a more peaceful world is to listen to one another. So often I have my viewpoints and am unflinching when it comes to my opinions. In order to be an agent of peace I believe we have to tune our ears to hear well, to try and hear on a deeper level. By hearing, hopefully we can move to a place of understanding and when we can understand one another we can seek to stand on common ground and hold the hard conversations that are necessary for peace-making with more tenderness rather than vitriol. So, my role in creating a more peaceful world is yes, to hold the conversations that are needed but first to start by honestly listening to my fellow people with openness and gentleness in order that I can be understand their perspective and in turn I can be more effective in creating peace and equity in my community.

I went on a few hikes last week that felt like playtime to me. On these hikes my motive wasn’t exercise, it was just simply to enjoy the scenic Pacific Northwest during the Fall. Big leaves, soft rain and old-growth forests were some of the sights that I took in. Movement makes me feel alive and I love endurance running and cycling the most but, I was recently injured after running an ultramarathon and I have had to stop running and biking for the time being while I recover. As tough as the injury has been for me, it has opened the door to a slower paced life which includes more walking. I feel so free and joyful when I go on walks or hikes. No expectations just pure enjoyment.

Hmm in my mind I am looking at my hindrances like all the scraps that are tossed into the compost pile at my house. They are the “degradable garbage” like egg shells, old vegetables etc.. In order for the scraps to become healthy compost they need heat, water, and a churning (at least how I am trained in “making compost.”) The question today is so full of perspective. It is this perspective that is like the water, heat and churning that can take these hindrances and turn them into fertile soil that is ripe for vibrant, new growth in my life. Maybe a strange example and a stretch but it is what came to mind when I saw this question haha

I think my family. I make a concerted effort to be kind and generous to those that I meet at work, on the streets or elsewhere in public. However, when I arrive at home tired from a long day, I notice that my kindness wanes and my family doesn’t receive the same treatment that others may receive from me. I would love to call on God for the energy and strength needed to see treat those who are closest to me with the same amount of goodness and kindness as the rest of the folks I meet throughout the day.

I am deeply moved by story. Hearing stories of how others have broken through the barrier of a self-centered way of being and instead have learned the beautiful way of considering the other really compels me to do the same in my life. Just a few days ago my sister called me to tell me how she and a group of her friends decided to pitch in money to buy a bunch of coffee to take to many homeless people in Boise, ID. The coffee served as a gateway for real human interaction and conversation and both my sister’s group, along with the folks they encountered on the streets, were brought to a more elevated place as they shared a loving moment together. Listening to her recount this over the phone reminded me of my longing to be more generous, kind and to look for opportunities to serve others around me.