41 years on planet earth and, until this year, I have never been called on to wrestle with discrimination. Today, either through false perception or terse reality, I got a small taste of what that might feel like - particularly the hurt that can be caused by the hardheartedness of others.
I mentioned these thoughts in a rather spirited conversation with Katherine thisafternoon, and, as I was wondering what could be wrong with me to elicit such behavior, Kendall chimed in from the back seat of the van with her usual sage timing and said,
"Maybe that's why God put you here."
Curious, I asked her to explain what she meant.
"Maybe God sees that something is wrong and has sent you to fix it."
As you can imagine, this interjection brought my indignation to a temporary halt. I tossed the principle over in my my mind for a few seconds, and marveled at the wisdom of an eleven-year old.
I also remembered the verse in Matthew that seemed custom-fit for the moment:
"Have you never read that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
Realizing that she had somehow secured command of the conversation, Kendall continued her discourse .
"Tell other people about how you feel about what happened today, and leave an impression on them," she advised, and then, as an afterthought, added, "I love Impressionism."
I wondered aloud what exactly "Impressionism" entailed.
Kendall explained to us that, to her thinking, Impressionism is more than a style of art. The word can also be used to describe the times we leave a mark on another person's soul - the times we "impress" others in ways that inspire positive change.
Still not completely dissuaded from being offended, I was about to argue that hardhearted people can't be impressed, but the words stuck in my throat.
After all....hadn't she just left an impression me?
"You have to make people think," she continued. "You can't MAKE them change...but you can make them think."
In that vein, I have been thinking about Kendall's version of Impressionism all day, and now, I'm on Facebook sharing it with you.
I think maybe the world would be a better place with a little more of this Christlike Impressionism and a little less of our hopelessness and despair. Maybe some of the pricks and pokes we suffer in the world are not the result of of happenstance or bad luck....maybe they are the Lord's way of showing us a place we can make a difference. A sort of pathway to our own personal ministry. I don't know exactly what this will mean for me and my circumstances, but I do have a better understanding of this statement made by ML King Jr:
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
and:
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
My thought for the day?
I think that, instead of being offended by the real or perceived slights of others, I will use this occurrence to try to leave a positive impression on the world - however small it may be. As a bonus, I have gained a deeper respect for the courage of the impressionists who came before me. The ones who gave their life with the hope of changing the world, but knew that they would do it by causing a single, seemingly insignificant individual stop in his/her tracks, and, for just a moment....think.
I'm no Monet, but I think, with the Lord's help, I can give that a try.
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