It's late on this Ash Wednesday Valentine's Day 2018. I wanted to be in bed long before now (9:30 goal), and I also wanted to have the first of 40 blogs posted before now, but since one of those two things is already blown to heck (It's 11:26 pm...yawn) , I might as well power through!
Confession: I'm mostly a writer who doesn't write. Both story and song. I have no idea why it is like this except if I were to guess, I would say perfectionism and busyness. Lame. I am ready to bury these two things six feet under.
This Lent, I felt challenged to write a story a day from things I have seen and experienced in my life. It's a challenge to not overthink it, just ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind what I should write and then do that. Some may be videos and others just like this, so I'm diving in.
Today was Ash Wednesday AND Valentine's Day. I think this is really beautiful because Ash Wednesday is a day of Love...A showcase and reminder of how, in our sinful, dark and dead state, Christ came in to win the day and now, out of love, we get to follow him. When you follow someone, you inevitably get to the same place they're going. Just as Philip said to Jesus, "Show us the way to where you're going" and Jesus replied, "I AM the Way!" The focus was never intended to be the destination when you can inextricably trust the one you're following to get you there. And the very way you get there is through relationship and communion.
Anyway, yes. It was also a hard day. ANOTHER school shooting. 17 dead in Florida. WHY. As that was happening, I was attending Mass downtown at the Cathedral. When I walked in, all I could see were HUGE scaffoldings all around the church. Plastic drop cloths and construction. Everything was under construction. But it was messy. This is where we are as the church. We are ONE BODY, but massive shifts of reformation and renovation are taking place everywhere.
I just got done watching Forrest Gump. I honestly can't remember if I've ever watched it all the way through...but I did tonight. This past weekend, three separate people brought up this movie to me and I took that as a sign to watch it. Besides the idea of running and walking being very front and center right now, I just marveled at how much Forrest's mom poured truth into his life. She set the tone for how he would filter all the other messages of the world.
I want to honor my mom for doing the same. You know how, as a kid, time feels so different. For example, when I tell the story of going to the beach on Saturday as a kid. I usually say, "my family and I would go to the beach every Saturday to collect sea shells and then we'd come home to eat pancakes with strawberry syrup." To me, that happened every Saturday, even though, realistically it could have only been a maximum of 1-2 years. But it landed in the right spot to make a lasting picture for me to access.
Same thing goes with a message my mom gave me. She would *Always* say "Krista, you're just right". I don't know how many times she actually said it, but I sure know how much I remember it, ask a kid and to this day. It cemented in a reality of being approved of, delighted in and loved...right where I'm at. This isn't a "you can do no wrong" message, but rather, digging for the gold and pointing it out.
Today, I remembered that I still have a Valentine's Day mug from the year my mom got sick (see picture above). She didn't write long things to us...part of her busyness and perfectionism, I think. The sharpie inscription on the bottom is starting to rub off. I so often wish she would have gotten around to writing in the Bible she gave to me. But more than bemoaning that, I'm so very thankful that she gave me the Father's Love through three simple words: "You're Just Right". This doesn't mean that we don't learn, grow and change, it just means that that doesn't happen through striving. Our identity core is fully loved and fully accepted.
I urge you, find a simple message like this (heck, steal this one from my mom!) and say it to your spouse, kids, and anyone in your life OFTEN! It matters. It really, really matters.
So, loved one, I will say it to you.
You're Just Right!
Happy Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday. You are loved.
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