My brother-in-law died very suddenly last year. We got a call in the middle of the night from my nephew telling us he had a massive heart attack. We were stunned. It was the last thing we ever expected. Tim was larger than life and had survived so much trauma in his life. He seemed invincible to me.
My husband and I have not been involved in an adult Sunday school class in several years because we have been teaching a middle school class. This can sometimes leave us a little lonely for adult companionship at church. But, when we got to the funeral home and were looking at the flowers there was a tree sent from our Sunday school class. They had come together and not only sent something; it was a four-feet tall tree. I was so moved at the gesture. While we weren’t communing with them regularly, they still considered us family. The outpouring of cards and letters from church members of all ages, was unbelievably uplifting. There’s nothing more comforting in times of great pain than being a part of a loving community of believers. I still thank God for their support and I try to remember it when others experience the same kind of loss.
When we got ready to leave the funeral home, my sister-in-law insisted that we take the tree with us. There were so many plants and flowers; she said she had nowhere to put them all. So, we took the tree along with a few other plants. I moved the tree to several rooms to try to find the perfect spot for it and didn’t have much luck. It needed space and a lot of light. Then I found the perfect pot. After that, I actually rearranged an entire room so it could sit in front of the windows. Next, I decided the room needed to be painted the same shade as the pot, a kind of blue-green color. Then, I found myself a memo board where I put up pictures that truly inspire me like the Gulf of Mexico and the Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine. There’s also a picture on it of a statue of Jesus with open arms. I didn’t know why I was putting all of these things together; I just felt inspired to do so. It was a kind of nesting.
On my desk underneath the memo board, there is a cross made from olive trees from Gethsemane in the Holy Land that my friend Anne brought me. On the desk, is my laptop where I conceived the idea of my blog. All of this creativity, all of the painting and reorganizing and putting pictures together that I have taken over many years, the notes that I take, the words that I write, all were triggered by a tree. A tree that was a heartfelt gift from those who cared about my family in our time of sorrow. Who would have thought that gift would have triggered so much?
We never know what a simple act of kindness can lead to, but lately I have become very diligent in extending kindness whenever or wherever I can, because even as I write this, I sit in awe if what it can lead to. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-especially to those in the family of faith.” I am so thankful that the Discovery Sunday School Class sent that tree and the creativity that got switched on in me because of it. What can I do today to extend kindness to someone who needs it? What can you do? If we pray about it, I have no doubt, God will tell us.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂
