I’d watched this caretaker throughout the weekend. How she served the other, severely handicapped, bound to her wheelchair. Her beauty was radiant. Peace oozed out of her. She seemed to have true joy in her serving.
And now she held life to the young woman’s lips. Sacrifice, forgiveness, grace, hope. But someone needed to help her. She couldn’t experience this remembrance on her own. She needed someone to feed her grace.
As I witnessed this act of incomparable beauty, I wept. The kind where you choke back sobs. As long as I live, I will remember this image whenever I take communion. To me, it was a picture of all it encompasses. The communion of strength and weakness, of grace and need, of love and beloved.
I discovered later that the caretaker was the young woman’s mother. Who better to serve grace to her daughter. Body broken for broken body.
She was a picture of what I want to be as a mother. Humble. Careful. Slow. Considerate of weakness, brokenness, need. Strength that serves.
Feeding grace.
And counting gifts . .
731. time alone
732. Jeff telling me I looked “so pretty”
733. scent of spring
734. imperfect mom’s sharing heart to heart
735. encouraging words
736. strength in weakness
737. Advil PM
738. mountain views
739. friends feeding our family, painting our house, carrying furniture, packing our mess, unpacking our kitchen, and then leaving flowers and gifts
741. sleeping in on a Monday
Linking with Ann . .
Laura . .
Do you know of Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest who whose charge for over a year at Daybreak community in Canada was to care for the needs of a severely disabled man named Adam. He wrote a book "Adam: God's Beloved" about how that experience changed him. Caring for someone who had to have all his needs met really slowed Father Nouwen and heightened his reflection. Your post today reminded me that I want to get this book and read it.
I posted right before you today at Ann's. It was good being here.
God bless you,
Dawn
Thanks for splashing me with God's goodness today. I hope you don't mind if I wade around a bit to get to know you. This looks like a refreshing place to dip into all things good..
Splashin'
Sarah
http://justsarahdawn.blogspot.com/
This is a beautiful excertation. You are SO pretty. 🙂 Now that you're living closer, I hope to visit you someday, or you visiting me. Or both. 🙂
Feeding grace…that's what I want to do too. More and more. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story, Kim.
Dawn, yes I have been very influenced by Henri Nouwen's writing. I haven't heard of this book though. I'll look for it. Thank you!
Sarah, thanks for stopping by.
Thank you, Jodi. I vote for both!
Lisa, you are very welcome! Thanks for visiting.
Kim,
this just blessed me so this morning. What a lovely, lovely way you have of seeing. Beautiful.
Laura, your comments are so encouraging. Thank you.
Oh my goodness, What a powerful scene. The way you described it transported me there and caused a lump in my throat. I want to be a mother like this one, too.
Thank you, Amanda. By God's grace, this is what we're becoming.