It’s OK to Cry
By Vera Entwistle of Taipei, Taiwan (World Service Corps)
Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God’s shalom, invites all people to come and receive divine peace in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life. Follow Christ in the way that leads to God’s peace and discover the blessings of all of the dimensions of salvation. —Doctrine and Covenants 163:2a
Each morning I stand at my window, sip my cup of tea, and look at the scene of the city of Taipei—nine floors below me. I see a building currently under construction, although all I can see is the outer shell. The tradition in Taiwan is to wrap the whole skyscraper in blue tarps until all construction is complete. This is a safety issue for this crowded city.
Another tradition here is to show in large white letters the number of floors completed. Right now there are only 22 floors, although the crane and workmen on top of the building indicate there are plans to go much higher. What else do I not know about the hidden building?
This scene causes me to reflect. I have never wrapped myself in blue tarps, but there have been many times when I did not let people get beyond my protective tarps to see the real me. For me, too, this was a safety issue.
After my dad’s suicide I wanted everyone to know I was coping well. I smiled and got on with life while all the time, behind those tarps, it was a daily struggle to hold my life together. I used to sing a line from a song, “For when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well.” Knowing friends were watching me, I soldiered on, but at what cost!
Only when I was at a breaking point was I able to share the pain, and only then did I slowly begin to heal.
Daily I am surrounded by people who are hurting and in need of love and encouragement. But because they appear okay, I do not reach out to them. Today I pray God will make me a “wounded healer.”
Prayer for Peace
God, our tears slide down into the cracks of our broken heart, and there the salty Spirit heals. There—the community brings peace.
Spiritual Practice: Spiritual Hunger
Jesus discerned hungers of body and spirit, and he fed them through a physical, verbal, spiritual ministry of presence. In a time of listening prayer, ask God to help you discern physical or spiritual hungers of people in your congregation, community, and global family. Invite the Spirit to move you to one hospitable act that “feeds” someone’s hunger today.
Peace Covenant
Today, God, I will look past the firm shell to see if a vulnerable soul needs a listener.