Bread

 "Life comes in waves, and the way to live is to find a way to ride waves."

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to visit Xman's church to pray over him, and the others, that are traveling to Puerto Rico on the mission trip.

It was uplifting to see him in HIS element. Loved. Seen. Accepted.

Okay, there was also this Mama Bear moment of needing to shake the hands of the adults I was sending him across an ocean with.

When it came time for communion, he says to me, "Mom - be careful when you open it. I've had it spill before."

Oddly I had the exact opposite problem.

I could not get to that piece of bread that is in the top layer of the little cup. The pull tab would not pull.

SD tried to help me as now it was hard to focus on the prayer because I'm trying to get to the bread.

No luck.

Not to worry as there were several extras around us and I successfully managed to partake in the body and the blood in remembrance.

I brought home that little cup that wouldn't open and have been thinking about it this week.

How sometimes what seems so easy - the route to Jesus - can be so challenging.

Everyone around me seemed to be able to open theirs. Why couldn't I?

I've been thinking about those obstacles to seeing Jesus this week, to getting to the bread.

I haven't been able to write since our community lost an amazing 17 year old in the last few weeks.

I have no words.

As I stood in the funeral home for his visitation, I remembered to be careful with what words I shared.

You see, I believe that it's in those hard moments where religion does the most damage.

Who wants to hear a Jeremiah 29:11 verse when you are standing next to the casket with your baby in it?

I believe we, with the best of intentions, become the reason others can't open their communion cup. The reason they won't.

In the hard, I believe that Jesus calls us to show up.

Not to preach or offer sympathies that will never touch the pain.

But to show up and say "I see you. You are loved."

And then we stay.

In all the moments before the hard, Jesus sits in the quiet. With His Father, so He's not alone.

The best Jesus we can show folks in hard times is to make sure they do not feel alone.

We show them Love.

If we provide the cup, they'll be able to open it when they are ready.