Being cool

Dear God, this is Kelley.

One woman looms large from my childhood. She was my basketball and softball coach from junior high school. I loved that woman. She was in every way just cool. She was … solid. She was good. It didn’t matter how she looked, what she was wearing — geez! I never even noticed! What was noticeable was her positivity, her attention, her presence. Yes, she still looms large.

May we be like this woman, Lord. May we practice being like this until it becomes habitual. And how? By realizing we do know (what’s true and what’s not). We can be here, present to others. We can pick up this weight, this baggage that lumbers after us, and set it off to the side, rather than let it continue to darken who we are and how we see.

We can be cool! We can be here for one another! Let’s be the survivors we are. We don’t have to know everything. We don’t have to prove anything. We don’t have to figure things out before we can proceed. We just get to be, as we are, right now. Thank you, God.

Reflection

Do you realize the grace of God that is available to you? Do you realize that by using this grace, you, too, can be cool?!

Prayer

Dear God, I get tripped up by me, who I am with my wounded perceptions. I get tripped by my body, with its imperfections and not-enoughs. Remind me, God, to use your plentiful grace! Your grace is right here. I can pick it up and put it on. I can practice being more than okay, because of You. I can be cool. Amen.