listen

I remember a scene in a movie. The woman was looking out her window at the street below. She had just lost a loved one. "Why are people moving so fast?" There is a time, following the death of someone you love, during the time of grief, that is a precious time. It is a time to listen. Not with your ears only but with your whole being. It is a time to walk slower, to be silent, to wait. It is not a time to hurry, to begin new things or hurry into old ones. It is a time when we are open.
It is a time when we hear cries of pain louder; when we are tender toward those who are marginalized, when we cannot bear to see someone hurt or left out. It is a time when we see things more accurately; when we have a heart like the heart of God.
It is a time to listen and be still. It is not a time to push past or stuff down. It is a time to listen to God and to all that God has created. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.