Meal plan for July 11th-17th
Some times I sit down, and I don’t know what to write. That happens at moments when I am tired, or busy, or just emotionally not in a good place. I’ve sat here with the cursor blinking for a long time, trying to put words down that makes what happened in Dallas, Minnesota, and Louisiana remotely make sense in my head. And it won’t. And my heart agrees.
I’m sick of trying to explain why these things happen. I’m sick of saying this will be the last time our country has to face these events. I’m sick of trying to be positive for my friends who are so down about the state of the world. I don’t get it, and I’m not going to try. I saw a quote about all this recently and while I don’t remember who said it, they basically said “hate never wins”. I fully believe that with my whole heart, but I’m ready for love to win right now.
I’m ready for racial profiling to stop. I’m ready for a very select few members of law enforcement to stop tarnishing the reputation of millions of hard-working police and other public servants who can and do put their lives on the line for us every day. I’m ready for hate to lose. I don’t have any answers. I don’t have the solutions. But I do think love and grace need to become more deliberate in our world.
Rather than share our meal plan (spoiler alert: we’re having food this week), I’m going to make a suggestion. You don’t have to follow it if you don’t want to. It’s not going to solve what is wrong in society, and it certainly won’t generate world peace. But, it may help you take a micro-step towards feeling better about the state of the world. My suggestion? Bake some cookies. Or a cake. Or some delicious banana bread. And then wrap half of it up and take it to a neighbor you’ve never talked to, and introduce yourself. Tell them your name. Leave your phone at home. Look them in the eye. Say hello. Ask them what their name is. Tell them you like their flowers, or the color of their house, or how they always decorate so nicely for Christmas. Be neighborly. That is a dying art these days. Food is the universal language all people can speak.
Then, take the other half of your goodies to a place where public servants work, like a police station, or a fire house, or a hospital. Introduce yourself. Tell them you are a part of the community that they serve. Tell them your name. Look them in the eye. Say hello. Ask them what their names are. Thank them for the work they do to make sure you get to stay healthy and safe. Acknowledge that these people have chosen a career that could mean they give up everything to make sure you don’t have to.
Hate never wins.
Love should.
Do your part to move the needle towards the good guys.
Amen, and God bless.
My husbands work took up a collection and purchased gift cards to a local restaurant and gave them to the local police to say thank you and that their community is behind them. I think this was a fabulous idea and shows our thanks for putting their lives on the line every day.
Your post really hit home with me. I have been struggling to make sense of it all. My heart aches so badly, yet I feel so helpless. Our pastor said something today which made so much sense. We cannot control other people. We cannot change other people. But we can control and change our hearts. We should not let these recent events fill us with more hate, but rather with more love and compassion. I think your idea is a wonderful way to do this!
This post makes my heart swell. Your wise, thoughtful suggestions are perfect for everyday life. Love always wins.
My walking group were all talking about this blog. You are making an exponential difference.
Love wins. I lived in Dallas for years, several years ago. Racist ideas were definitely pervasive. But Dallas did change. They have a black police chief, police violence is way down. Race relations are truly better. Love wins, it just takes a while. Thank you for a great plan for us to participate in that victory.
Love.??
“Be neighborly” and other dying arts need to be reborn so we may heal as people individually and a country as a whole. It is the little things, they do matter and they do add up. This is true if we are slipping down the hill in our behaviors, or climbing back up. Let’s start the climb…….I appreciate your direct posts such as this one. Thank you.
Today I am going to a BBQ, with strangers from my community. We met once or twice for hours of training because we were hired to work on our national census. We were the local team tho We did not actually see each other face to face very often, each of us attending to,our individual daily assignments. I am hoping that after today I will be able to put names to a few more friendly faces in my community. Right now I have dough to make dinner rolls rising to share with my neighbour/strangers. I like your idea.
Thank you for your words! I feel much the same way you do. My older son is getting old enough to start asking questions about news reports like this (if we ever have them playing when the kids are in the room–rarely). I just hope and pray that I’ll have the wisdom to explain it to him honestly without scaring him. I want him to believe (as I do) that the world is still a wonderful place and a place in which most people are good and he can make a difference. Lord help us.
Thank you. That’s all I can say at this time too for that simple plan.
Thank you for this! Beautifully expresses how I’m feeling these days too. I am going to follow your advice and get to know my neighbors better and let our community servants know I appreciate them and all they do.❤️