The empowering gift of Grace

Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. Born with a cleft palate, Mary would hear the jokes and tolerate the stares of other children (some cruel, others, simply curious) who teased her about her misshaped lip, her crooked nose and garbled speech. Mary grew up hating the fact that she was “different,” convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her.
Until she entered Mrs. Leonard’s class. Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. In the 1950’s, teachers would administer an annual hearing test. In addition to her cleft palate, Mary was able to hear out of only one ear. Determined not to give classmates another difference to tease, each year she would cheat on the hearing test.
It was called the “whisper test.” The teacher would stand 1-2 feet behind the student so they could not read her lips. The student would place one finger on the opposite ear to obscure any sound. The teacher would whisper words with 2 distinct syllables toward the student’s ear. The student would repeat the phrase to the teacher. When Mary turned her bad ear toward her teacher, she always pretended to cover her good ear. Mary knew that teachers would typically say, “The sky is blue,” or “What color are your shoes?” But not on that day. Mrs. Leonard changed Mary’s life forever. When the “whisper test” came, Mary heard these words: “Mary, I wish you were my little girl.”

Anne Lamott notes that Grace is an “unseen sound that makes you look up.”
Or, stops you. Quite literally.
And gratefully. Right where you are.
Say, on an ordinary day, say with a cup of coffee in your hand (and your mind spinning with the weight of the news), meandering the container garden, under a vibrant blue early summer sky, and narrow shafts of sunlight (through the firs) illuminate the flowers in barrels and pots, where a congregation of Shasta Daisies, and deep lavender verbena, and golden dwarf sunflowers defy any kind of gloom, bring a smile to the face and giddiness to the heart; as if the blooms and colors are shouting hope, puncturing any of the gray my spirit may carry.
Yes, this scene is a tonic. And there is something about these moments that carry significance, because they are reminders, and they are sacraments. Partial, yes, but containing the full sustenance of grace.
Dag Hammarskjold got it right, “God does not die on the day we cease to believe in a personal deity. But we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance of wonder renewed daily, the source of which is beyond all reason.”
Grace is an unseen sound that makes you look up, even and especially when life calls for cynicism. (Or suspicion, or despair, or fear, or scorn.)

Let’s pause here. The story of Mrs. Leonard resounds with my heart today, with two gifts.
One, when there is cruelty and marginalization (and exclusion) in the world around me, it’s easy to give in to the narrative that only power and dominance wins, and I miss the sustenance of grace every time.
And two. Personally, at my core, Mrs. Leonard was saying not just to Mary, but to me (and to every one of us today), “You are not at the mercy of untruthful assumptions. They are not the truth of who you are.” You know, those assumptions that keep you confined (in a box), where your heart stays guarded and fearful.
Okay. So, what does any of this matter?
For starters, grace empowers us. Empowers us to say No.
No to fear and angst.
No to onslaught, and places of un-safety.
No to exclusion, disrespect and insult.
And no to the weight of fragility.

So. In our world of hurry, noise and restlessness, and anger and disparagement, where do we hear the voice of grace?
Self-care is hard to come by. And it’s not easy for me to admit when I am emotionally tired. (After all, I don’t want to appear to whine.)
And the medicine for sanity? Doses of grace. Like Mrs. Leonard’s whisper, not as susceptible to the violence of noise.
I hope you hear that whisper today.

We could use more Mrs. Leonards in our world.
Although (if I’m honest) it does sound too good to be true.
However (this is important), we make a mistake if we assume that we need to orchestrate grace. And an even greater mistake if we assume we must get dressed up for it. Like prom night. Or study for it, like preparing for some multiple-choice test that has right and wrong answers.
Yes, it feels good to hear the affirmation. But it’s bigger than that. Grace is the glue for the sanctuary that mends our spirit and soul.
And here’s the deal… As much as I want Mrs. Leonard’s voice in my ear, I want to remember that I too have a voice. And that voice is a voice of grace.
A voice of mercy and kindheartedness.
A voice for sanctuary and safety.
A voice for inclusion, there the derisive narrative does not need to carry the day.
Remembering this; whenever we interrupt, and say, “But…” Grace is diminished.
“I do not understand the mystery of grace,” Anne Lamott writes, “only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Grace is the soil for seeds of joy. So that our heart feels alive, even in the pain.
Grace fuels confidence inviting us to enter into our day and life with our whole heart, with no need to shut down or hide or strike out at others out of insecurity.
And joy always spills to others.
Today, let us honor places where we can speak these words—this whisper test—of welcome, “You are safe here. You are someone here. You are enough. You matter here.” Not forgetting that theology—“Love one another, including the marginalized and even our enemies”—is not just about creed. In each case, there are faces, and names, and stories. Stories that touch this day, in its pain and uncertainty and bafflement.
This I know: today, I needed to hear the voice of Grace.

For those of you in places where the weather is at cooking temperatures, please stay safe and hydrated. And for those with dogs, bless your hearts when the 4th fireworks happen later this week. Stay safe.
And let us pause, to savor a moment, a gift of grace, and let us pass it on. Spill that bit of light in a world thirsty for benevolence and shelter.

Quote for our week… “The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.” Thich Nhat Hanh

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Today’s Photo Credit: “Terry, Sunrise at Star Island, NH. This has been my ‘spirit’s home’ for almost 30 years. I was there at an Arts conference last week. Came home exhausted from extroverting but renewed and energized. Thank you for the work you do in this crazy world. Blessings Always.” Beth Hayward… Thank you Beth… And thank you to all, I love your photos… please, keep sending them… send to terryhershey.com 

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Letters that do my heart good…
–Hi Terry, I experienced this at your retreat in Auburn. I felt the warmth of the Sun, the bright presence of so many beautiful people, a calm energy, and, finally, inner peace. The light from that weekend still shines. Thank you for all you do! Rita
–I know my expectations can be a blockade to Grace. They keep me from that “soft heart”. I need to ponder a favorite quote of mine frequently. “When we release expectation and invite appreciation, all the moments of our lives become openings and opportunities ” Kristi Nelson. Thanks, Terry for another great morning Sanctuary. Deb
–Terry, you write so beautifully!  Your words warm my soul and help to me better understand the subtle truth of who I am.  It is in others receiving all we have to give that allows us to be even more vulnerable. It is being vulnerable that others begin to trust us. It is how others get to know who we really are. Today’s daily sabbath moment helped to pass the idle time waiting in line at Universal studios in Orlando. Nice downtime from an exhausting, fun day! Julie
–So loving & motivational! We need to follow this way of being in our world Today. Thank you, Terry
–Terry, Monday’s SM was your absolute best in my book!  I say you nailed it!  Love is the way… it’s so easy to smile at someone and you might just make their day.  In any event, when you smile it makes you feel better too!!  BTW I love your musical suggestions!  Becky