We have been taking the time between the holidays to connect with friends as best we can in light of the pandemic. We are calling them “doorstep drive-bys“ and Julia absolutely loves connecting with her people this way. It’s amazing how her morale can go from 0 to 100 after just ten minutes talking to a friend in the driveway.
We did another visit this morning with one of her besties before they went off to be with family for New Year’s Eve. It was a raucous fifteen minutes of exchanging gifts, ball toss, hide and seek, duck duck goose and simply re-connecting after a long time apart.
As the moms talked (they needed this as much as the girls did), I watched Julia and her friend and the intensity with which they played. It was as if they were packing the last nine months of relative distance into the 15 minutes they knew they had together. It was humbling and heartbreaking to witness; but amazingly redemptive and beautiful as well.
Their parting, though they knew they were going to see each other soon, was sad and even a little tearful on her friend’s part. I honestly don’t think Julia knew what to do at first with the love of a friend who was clinging to her so. She quickly figured it out though. She took it in – and let her friend hold her for as long as she wanted.
This. This is the memory with which I want to end the year: the image of two friends who have become so aware of their aching need for each other.
Honestly, friends, has 2020 softened or hardened our hearts for each other? It’s a scary question, but how we answer it says an awful lot about our humanity.
I have a lot of reflection ahead in many of the domains of my life to start figuring it out; but there are really only two answers to the question:
If the answer is softened, what am I doing or committing to do to live more fully into it?
If the answer is hardened, am I prepared to take that before a God who gave so much for me and make a case for why my heart should remain hardened toward that person or ideology? Or (scarier) is that hardness in my heart the very thing that keeps me from a fuller and deeper adventure with God and others?
(And, yes, I understand if there are particularly tough relational situations; but hardness of heart over another person’s views on politics or myriad other cultural issues is not acceptable.)
After the love I witnessed this morning between two ten-year-old girls, I humbly submit that we all have some thinking to do…
Here’s toward a more peaceful 2021. The Cook family loves you greatly!
One Response
Chris, I am glad both family’s were able experience this moment and I am equally glad you were able to share this moment both in words and by picture as a reminder of our deep needs and what is truly important to be able to hear, see and feel our Father.
When we are just making it through each day, I know we are missing a lot.
Here is to being more intentional and aware in 2021 so we can experience the fullness of our Father, including being fully available for Him to work through us to share the good news with others.