There is Hope ... I promise

This morning I started the day much as you did. Incredulous, afraid, anxious. I still hadn't found any kind of peace when I pulled into a parking space at Sam's several hours later. The events of the last three months, and then the horrific murder of George Floyd has left me empty...except for outrage. As I got out of my car I noticed a woman in front of me loading groceries in the back of her car. 

She looked over and gave me a huge smile (I know this because our masks were down around our necks, but we were about 10 feet apart) She quickly asked me how I was and I thought I could say fine....but I didn't. I looked at her and said, "To tell you the truth, I am completely unsettled..." She asked me why and I told her "I have no idea what to do, and I feel powerless." Without any explanation she knew exactly what I was talking about. She smiled at me and said, "Don't worry, everything is going to work out, it's going to be fine." She went on to say, "This is when we lean on our faith, and remember most people are good, very, very good.The fact you stopped to talk about this gives me all the hope I need." I tried to explain that I have many black friends but I have been afraid or nervous to approach them because I think I will say something wrong and that is the last thing I want to do. She told me not to worry....to just say what is in my heart. 

She reminded me what Martin Luther King said, "I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Then she told me the best thing I may have ever heard. She said, "I'm going home now to tell my grandchildren about our conversation...I am going to make sure they know people are good and love is all around us, and that everything will be ok." I just stood there and cried...I cried for George Floyd, I cried for what is happening right now in our country and I cried tears of gratitude for this incredible woman who spent time helping me feel better. We couldn't hug, but she blew me a kiss and said, "I'm Mary, it was so nice to talk to you, can't you just feel the hope?" 

It's true I did, divine hope, because of a chance meeting between two women in the parking lot at Sam's....we had everything in common, groceries, age, and grandchildren...everything except race and it made no difference at all.

This morning I started the day much as you did. Incredulous, afraid, anxious. I still hadn't found any kind of peace when I pulled into a parking space at Sam's several hours later. The events of the last three months, and then the horrific murder of George Floyd has left me empty...except for outrage. As I got out of my car I noticed a woman in front of me loading groceries in the back of her car. She looked over and gave me a huge smile (I know this because our masks were down around our necks, but we were about 10 feet apart) She quickly asked me how I was and I thought I could say fine....but I didn't. I looked at her and said, "To tell you the truth, I am completely unsettled..." She asked me why and I told her "I have no idea what to do, and I feel powerless." Without any explanation she knew exactly what I was talking about. She smiled at me and said, "Don't worry, everything is going to work out, it's going to be fine." She went on to say, "This is when we lean on our faith, and remember most people are good, very, very good.The fact you stopped to talk about this gives me all the hope I need." I tried to explain that I have many black friends but I have been afraid or nervous to approach them because I think I will say something wrong and that is the last thing I want to do. She told me not to worry....to just say what is in my heart. She reminded me what Martin Luther King said, "I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Then she told me the best thing I may have ever heard. She said, "I'm going home now to tell my grandchildren about our conversation...I am going to make sure they know people are good and love is all around us, and that everything will be ok." I just stood there and cried...I cried for George Floyd, I cried for what is happening right now in our country and I cried tears of gratitude for this incredible woman who spent time helping me feel better. We couldn't hug, but she blew me a kiss and said, "I'm Mary, it was so nice to talk to you, can't you just feel the hope?" It's true I did, divine hope, because of a chance meeting between two women in the parking lot at Sam's....we had everything in common, groceries, age, and grandchildren...everything except race and it made no difference at all.