MOMENTS OF GRACE

What interesting responses from you to the previous post about Real Change.

A writer friend wrote a poignant essay describing her stop at a traffic light with many vehicles ahead of her. Sitting through two light changes gave her opportunity to observe a man waving a cardboard sign and walking the median toward the drivers who might give him money.

A grocery store is on one corner and an older, stooped woman came out bags in one hand and a cane she used for support in the other. When she reached the corner she slowly placed her bags on the street, opened her purse and took out money. She gave the money to the cardboard man, painstakingly retrieved her grocery bag, plodded her way to the crosswalk, and proceeded to slowly cross the street. The man pocketed the money and commenced waving his sign.

My friend titled her essay, “Intersection.”  Unless we remain housebound with no visitors, we approach junctions throughout the day. Some intersections require our response and some slide through our awareness to the general dumping receptacle that allows us to function. Some crossing points involve us with written or video presentations, and again, we may respond or ignore.

The grace we offer others in our intersections wells up from the grace we store within ourselves. (An AA friend reminded me to not “should” on myself.) If we are graceless, our response will be barren, judgmental and coarse. But if we daily remind ourselves of the mercy we receive in droplets and in deluge, we will slow dance through our intersections one day at a time. Blessing others as we have been blessed.