By Mercy Zou Taithul
What is your favorite season? I want to believe that a lot of people will say “Fall,” and I agree, I love Fall – the color of the trees/leaves, sweater weather, harvesting seasons for farmers and gardeners, and many more things that I’m sure you already named in your head. I personally enjoy hiking and long drives during this time of the year, time to appreciate this short period of beauty.
Although, it makes me wonder why Fall? Because to be honest, all seasons are beautiful. Some love summer and soaking under the sun and enjoying the lake or beach. While some love winter, being cozy inside drinking hot cocoa. Spring boasts beautiful cherry blossoms, new leaves and buds – a sense of new beginnings!
Out of all the seasons, fall is the shortest. I think that’s one of the reasons I like it so much. Because it begins and ends so quickly, I want to enjoy every moment of it. When I think of this, it makes me consider our seasons of life. Humans could live for more than one hundred years, which might sound like a very long time. But, if we compare that with those in the Old Testament, where some people lived thousands of years, it’s extremely short. I asked God sometimes, why not 200 or 300 years? Because I have fear of losing someone in my life. However, I do know deep down that the decrease in years also makes me appreciate my life, my family and friends, and love them even more.
When I first moved here, I was not used to expressing my love or feelings to my dear ones because we didn’t do that much in my culture. It felt uncomfortable and cringe sometimes. For instance, I started saying “I love you” to my family like “Goodnight mom/dad/sis/brother, love you” and their responses would be, “Ok Bye.” Even though they didn’t say it, I could still feel them saying I love you too.
In the world that we live in – the unpredictable, the jealousy, the violence, and unexpected death, I find it essential to express our love and care towards one another as we don’t know when it might be our last time to say or hear it.
I invite you to take a pause for a minute:
As you inhale, think about the world that we live in, your loved ones, people or community that you care deeply about.
Now as you exhale, ask yourself what action you could take to make this world a better place.
Inhale again, and ask yourself, why that matters to you.
Exhale and invite the Holy Spirit to guide you.
It is tempting to react with anger when children of God are treated with inhumanity, disrespect, power, indignity from their own siblings, and it hurts, I know, it hurts. But with all these uneasy feelings, I want to remind you that YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD and we have work to do – to serve and to live our Baptism life daily (as Rev. Leila Ortiz reminded many of us at the BTC). At the Bishop’s Theological Conference in September, Bishop Jen said, “baptism – it’s not always gentle!” As we walk, live, and serve our God, the path will not always be gentle, but the Holy Spirit will always be present with us.
So again, I invite you take some deep breaths, lift up your heavy burden to God, and exhale. Then, inhale love, kindness, compassion, and patience, then exhale with a smile believing that it will get better and you will be a part of that change one step at a time.
God bless you!