If you know me well there is always a bit of activist bubbling up in me, and while it has looked very different in different points of my life it's there.
As I drove to the dentist today tears rolled down my face and then as I drove home more tears rolled down my numb cheeks. The picture below is the two podcasts I listened to today.
The first one is a woman who bought a one way ticket to Africa and what has come of her life since. A few weeks ago Brent and I were in the car and I told him I was having my version of a midlife crisis. I'm a planner. We are homeschooling our kids but then what?! What am I going to do with my life after that? Do I want to go back into education?! I know that's a long way away but it was freaking me out more off of perceived society pressures then anything else. Brent looked at me and said he has told people that someday he might be the one stateside making money while I go around the world doing something to help and love people. Man he knows me. I laughed. He might be very right. Or maybe I'll be doing something in the country... there is lots of years and life between that time. I do love that my husband knows me enough that none of that freaks him out. But God has been reminding me lately that I can be love in the situations I'm in right now. That I don't need to start a big organization and I don't need to be a star in the spotlight... my job is to love and while it looks different then ways I once expected it doesn't make it less valuable work. Honestly this stage of life that I'm in right now, getting to love the people I get to love and be involved in the communities I am fills me up so much. I don't wish time away or live for the next big thing anymore, but am happy in the here and now.
The second podcast rocked me. This isn't the views of that day that you hear much. I know someone who is deeply impacted by the loss of life that day and it made it all much more real to me, I think in our 24 news hour world we are too use to hearing about death, that we are numb, but knowing someone effected made this event hit home. It was also the reality that for me in that world of a white girl, who was taught in school that racism ended when schools were desegregated, that the lies of the devil still had a stronghold on hearts and minds about race.
I was also listening to these podcasts with my kids in the car. And as the second one finished with tears in my eyes I had to explain to my 5yr old what that was about. And to explain it to a 5yr old who is different then the norm... trust me I have seen enough to know far too many people think people with disabilities are less of a person then others. I explained it simple, in her terms as not to overwhelm her.
Then she was silent. The car was quiet. And then she started to sing "the shadow proves the sunshine" and "I won't let you go." Those little hands went up in my rear view mirror as she sang about God not letting us go. I love her heart, that in the midst of darkness she turns to God for comfort. There was so much hope in her words.
So this is a really long podcast suggestion. I promise you that you won't cry every episode... some are funny, but if you are looking for how to make a world impact I highly suggest it, and listen to it with your kids, it might lead to interesting conversations but you grow from those... I want kids that are the hands and feet... not a bubble. And I know that it's a privilege I have to even have the option to have these conversations, for many families they experience racism that they have to talk about it with their young kids.
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| Here is the screen shot of the two pod casts I listened to yesterday. I have listened to several others from this podcast that are really good as well! |
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