I cried steadily as we approached the freeway off ramp. I was thinking about a mom whom I did not know as she was getting herself ready to attend her teenage sons funeral. We parked across the street from the church, I grabbed my little pack of Kleenex from the center console and we walked into the church. As we walked down the aisle to offer our condolences to the grandparents of the young man, the grandma wrapped her arms around my husband and just sobbed. I stood behind him and all I could do in that very moment was dig into my bag, pull out a Kleenex and tuck it into her hand that was wrapped around his back. There were no words for this moment. All that I could do was say a prayer and offer a Kleenex.
I was standing in the "Group Three" line waiting for the fog to lift and praying that my flight would not be delayed. I felt silly even standing in line when we did not know if and when we would take off but standing in that line allowed me to look over and see a tiny little lady slumped over in an airline wheelchair struggling to get into her carry-on bag. I left my backpack and bag to hold my spot in line and went over to her. She was a tiny little thing trying to unzip her bag so I offered to help. I looked up and tears were rolling down her face. I asked her name. "Betty"she replied. "My daughter was found dead last night I am traveling across the country to get to her" I offered my sincere condolences, helped her get her over ripened banana and book out of her bag and zipped it back up. I told Betty that I would be praying for her and her family and walked back to my spot in line. I continued to glance over at Betty as we waited for the fog to lift and I had this overwhelming and repeating thought replay in my head "what can I do" what can I do"? I unzipped my stuffed backpack, reached to the very bottom and there it was. A pack of tissues tucked into a cozy that I had made with a prayer card in it. That was it. I walked back over to Betty and she immediately apologized for crying. I placed the pack of tissues into her tiny little hand and told told her that there was a prayer inside for her. That was all that I could do. Offer a Kleenex and a prayer.
I was standing on the third base line of a softball field while hundreds of people gathered on a chilly night with candles lit in honor of a sweet girl that had taken her own life only days before. Streams of tears were falling from the young girls team mates. Streams of tears were falling from the moms and dads of those same girls. Tears were streaming down the face of her coach and as he passed me, all that I could do was say a prayer and offer a Kleenex.
We do not need to speak the same language, we do not have to know one another and we do not need to know the circumstances. All that we need to do is say a prayer and offer a Kleenex.
I have posted about "Tissue & A Prayer" from time to time on social media streams to remind you that you can do the same. Last week as I was working on my Revelation Wellness study about loving others, I wrote in my journal " Lord, what is it you are calling me to do?" IMPORTANT: When you ask God something, don't forget to pay attention because at some point, He will answer.
Monday, I posted a reminder on IG to use what you have to make things and share them with people. It was a box full of "Bless Yous" headed to Houston.
One of the comments to that post was this:
"What a lovely idea. I wish I had these to hand out in the ER's"
Well, I responded to that comment and I am preparing to go out and start sewing to create a big box of "bless yous" for a hospital in Florida...but what about all the other hospitals, ER's, Labor & Delivery Departments, Oncology Departments...friends, friends of friends, family members of friends, what about the mom's and dads that just got the diagnosis that their child has cancer or what about the mom's and dads that got the diagnosis themselves..or what about...________________________ and ________________________ and ___________________________
and that is where I am at this very moment.
God gave me an assignment way too big for just me to do but that is because He knows that YOU can help me.
- Do you know someone that works for Singer that could help us share this mission?
2. Do you know someone who works for Fiskars and could donate cutting tools?
3. Do you know someone that works for Kleenex/Kimberly-Clark Wordwide that could donate the little tissue packs?
4. Do you know someone that designs fabric could donate scraps or Fat Quarters of their latest collections & designs?
5. Do you work somewhere that could really use a box full of "Bless You's"?
I know that WE can do this together! Please visit www.blessyouproject.com to get going on how you and I can do this together for others!
