i am a girl who delights in mornings alone. who rises with the sun and slips into a robe just to sit and stew over the hours ahead. i've learned to eat in restaurants by myself on my lunch break, next to men in business suits and construction workers with dirt on their knees. i am comfortable in an empty room, echoing house, and silent car.
but it takes a village to love. to share, spread, sprinkle the seeds.
driving to work today, i thought about the people around me. their commute. their coffee in drink wells, lipsticks in pocketbooks. was the woman stopped at the red light next to me wearing a new blouse? did she have children and if so, did it hurt her to leave them this morning? is she fighting with her husband or did she just kiss him goodbye? i turned my radio off and just watched. as mothers, sisters, husbands, uncles and boyfriends flew by me.
and i thought about all the chances, all the blessed opportunities, i have to love each of them.
to be kind. to smile. to let someone cut in front of me at the coffee counter. to consider the little burdens, boulders, and mountains they are forging through. to not question if the man on the corner is really hurting. that's one of the hardest parts, the not questioning.
it takes almost nothing for me to sit alone. to sink into a tub at the end of a long day and play my favorite songs in the comfort of my office.
but love means community. and from big cities to tiny hometowns, there's a village waiting.
16 comments:
Courtney, I love this post! I was just reading yesterday in Purpose Driven Life about how God calls us to just love one another and all of the opportunities we have to show our faith just by loving!
Thank you for posting - your writing always seems to strike a chord with me!
That was just lovely! It's so easy to go through your day ignoring strangers around you; but there is something very satisfying about stepping back and taking pause to actually THINK about those people, strike up a meaningful conversation, ask them a simple question. I used to work with the public (managing a local boutique) and I was always so surprised when a rank stranger trying on clothes would open up their entire life story to me, just because I made eye contact and genuinely asked how their day was going. In a way it would make me sad but at the same time I'd like to think I was helping them in some small way. :)
Wow. This is awesome. Love the part about not questioning--that is hard, isn't it? But so necessary! Thanks for the reminder!
~Tiffany
http://tiffanyd22.blogspot.com
Beautiful. And so well said. I tend to get overwhelmed by all the little stuff that adds up to a lot, so something it helps me to take things one interaction at a time. And nothing we do is neutral - everything is some varying shade of good or bad. So my focus is to make every interaction I have as positive as it can be. In the words I say, the facial expressions and body language I show, and tone and inflection I use.
This post was a great reminder! Thank you.
Yes. Not questioning. Just doing. I have a hard time being alone, but I'm also pretty introverted so i also don't like to be around a lot of people. But this world is kind of full of people who need love, who need help forging through those battles while carrying those boulders.
I just love this. And all the pretty ways you have of reminding me to be a better person. God speaks right through you. I hope you know that and grasp the power in that. It's such a beautiful blessing He has given you.
Your words are so refreshing.
"but love means community. and from big cities to tiny hometowns, there's a village waiting."
Glorious words to take into the weekend...
Oh boy oh boy. This might be my favorite post so far, I can't handle the beauty. I just {gasp} love you!
I had a similar moment this morning watching the people around me driving to work or school or wherever. I wondered what they were thinking right at the moment and what their days had in store for them...then I had to snap back into reality and concentrate on driving :)
this is beautiful. i feel like everyone should have a love scavenger hunt of sort. love each type of person all around their city. i think that would do a world of good. thank you for this reminder, love.
I feel like this is something I need to work with sometimes. Instead of jumping to conclusions about people, trying to put myself in their shoes. It's not an easy quality to develop. But I'm slowly working on it. I enjoyed this very much.
I love your outlook on everything.
"to not question if the man on the corner is really hurting. that's one of the hardest parts, the not questioning."
This is hard for me as well. So many things go through my mind when I see people on the corner. I wonder if what their sign says is true, how they got there, and so on. What I should be focused on is loving them no matter what.
you are a gem. sending love your way. there's never enough out there:)
You have the most perfect knack to turn fleeting thoughts that live in my head (hey...how do you do that?) into clear and beautiful words on your lovely blog. BEAUTIFUL and ORIGINAL and AMAZING as always, Courtney. Love your thoughts....maybe because I find them so very relatable. :)
Happy Weekend! xo
You think like a writer Courtney. Please tell me you are working a novel.
This post is the reason why I decided to read your blog at this momment -on my study break. Your writing is so refreshing!
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