I feel despair, sadness and helplessness for what is happening all around the world. I wish I could take people's pain away, save or rescue them in an instant whether it is from war, floods, fire, diseases, homicides, earthquakes, all kinds of atrocities and heartaches. Some time ago in the summer as I saw things unraveling around the world with more and more anger and hatred, the only thing I could muster up to say to God was "Where there is hatred, let me sow love." I find myself saying that more and more each day, "Lord, where there is hatred, let me sow love today." Right now I feel it's the only thing I can do. If I keep my focus on the atrocities, I might forget to engage in my purpose in this world, to sow love.
There is a feeling of inadequacy when I'm not able to help immediately. As I write this I am reminded that I can still help. For Afghanistan particularly, I can support the people who immigrate to other countries by helping them with a job or buying their products, gifting them something, helping them to integrate into their new countries or learn the language.
When I sold one of my homes in the past, the sale was very unusual for its time. Homes were selling in 3 days or less and over asking. Before my house was put up for sale, I had a very specific prayer to God that this house belongs to a specific person in the world and I will know who it is when I hear them call this house their home. I had this knowing that somebody out there in the world really wanted this particular house. I promised God that I would wait for that person to appear.
For three months people came and left, all with very good reviews, but no sale. My realtor was baffled but I knew my prayer and I waited. Finally, this family who were the first to see my home when it was put up on the market returned after much searching. On the first visit, they stayed in the house for a long time. The mother of the family was not present then but was present now. They really wanted it but it was over their budget. I heard that when the mother walked in the front door, she exclaimed that this was her home that she had been waiting for. She was in love with it, she rubbed her hands over everything, feeling it and embracing it.
I knew when they presented the offer to me, remembering my prayer and understanding their circumstances, I would do what I could to make it work for them. I could feel their happiness and sense of purpose in this place, as if this was their piece of Earth. I accepted a lower offer and then heard about their story from their realtor.
They were from Afghanistan and had never lived in a house before. Every house they went to see was not what they felt was right for them. They had been searching for several months and wanted this one when they first saw it. They thought they would see it again and they were all praying in the car that things would work out for them, before they stepped out to see it a second time. They wanted breezy, airy, light, nature, community, a very different life from what they were used to. They felt that here when they first visited and no other place. I remember their gratitude and how the father of the family blessed me before he left. I was so thrilled to be a very big part of their joy and I never ever regret making the decision to do what it takes to give them their very first home.
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