The beauty of the morning captures my soul.
I am transported to a place where the value of people extends beyond their geography.
All cultures are embraced with reckless abandon.
The challenge to respond to the needs of others is met with overwhelming joy.
There is no poverty or lack.
The beliefs of others are not challenged but serve to teach us.
It is a place where the One True God is Father to all and His goodness is celebrated by all for eternity.
Heaven Comes Near.
Stories Changing Lives
I am grieved by the violence I see occurring in our country today. Families are being destroyed by the unexpected loss of loved ones at the hands of another. Their lives forever changed.
The perpetrators are often children themselves. Their hurts running so deep that they are unable to separate themselves from the destruction for which they are responsible. Why didn’t someone notice their pain and respond? So much hardship could have been avoided.
But where do you go if you are in crisis or to report someone you believe is in crisis? Who do you tell? Where are the safe places of refuge? Everyone needs to be made aware of this.
Life is precious. Let’s work together to protect our innocent and provide healing for those suffering before a crisis occurs.
Living with hope,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories changing lives
The Bible has been a guiding force in religion for centuries. Starting with the Ten Commandments, prophets and priests preached it, and Pharisees tried to enforce it. It was concrete and there was very little room for questioning. One simply obeyed the words.
But, there was so much more to the Bible than following a set of rules. The central message of the Bible is, and has always been, love. God, our Creator, loves us and desires to be in relationship with us. He came in bodily form to show us how much. Jesus’ came to accomplish this primary purpose. He came to teach us the value of God’s creation, every single part of it, to celebrate the diversity and the beauty of it all. He came to demonstrate love and how to live in a way that reflects His love.
I had a wonderful conversation with my oldest grandson this week. I was moved greatly by his certainty about justice and the depth of his love for people. He is only eight years old, but his words have continued to ring in my heart, so I thought I would share them with you this week.
It was a beautiful day, and my grandson and I were sitting by the pool waiting for his six year old brother to finish his part of swim team practice. Our conversation gravitated to the upcoming swim meet and the races that he would be engaged in. Though he was too young to swim in it, he shared about the coed relay race. For those of you who are not swimmers, most races are men or women but not both. He was excited about that race because he knew about how women had been treated unfairly throughout history, and this was a way to show equality. We talked about what women endured, how they were not permitted to vote, etc.
Then, he turned to me and said, “Mimi, I am not a woman, but it really bothers me that they were treated unfairly like that”.
He thought for a minute then continued with, “You know, Mimi, black people have been treated unfairly, too.”
We talked about the injustice toward African Americans throughout history, much of which he already knew. He mentioned Martin Luther King and what an amazing man he was and I could feel my heart swell.
Then, he responded with, “You know, Mimi, I am not a black person but it really bothers me when they are treated unfairly.”
It made me think about my younger son who is married to my wonderful son-in-law and how deeply my grandchildren love their uncles. It gave me hope for our world.
Oh that we, as adults, would love people in such a way that we are “bothered” by the injustice and teach our children to be the same. Our children are our future.
I am thankful for my family and for the many ways they care about the justice in this world. My son and daughter-in-law are modeling for their children love for all people, valuing all of God’s creation. My younger son and his husband are doing their part to bring a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ community through education and film. And, my husband’s heart for others is a driving force in bringing justice forth.
Since that conversation with my grandson, I can’t stop thinking about the very courageous people who saw the injustice and have worked to change the law so that it reflects love for all people… “and justice for all.”
Be bothered by the injustice and strive to bring change.
Blessings,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
This weekend is Pride Weekend in our city. I am reminded of our personal journey and am thankful for the way God has chosen to teach our family about love.
I use to have an incomplete way of thinking, limited by my experience. Then, one day, my world dramatically expanded and I began to see and think differently.
I realize that people may not think as I do about certain issues… and that’s okay. We are all limited by our experience. What isn’t okay is how people are often treated because they think differently. Persecution is never okay. The hurt becomes especially painful when the church is the perpetrator.
Our family was a member of the Evangelical church for twenty-five years. There were many wonderful things about the church; people, activities, training. But, there were also many issues that went unaddressed in the church that led one to believe that they were “non-issues”. My own personal journey made me realize that what I believed to be “non-issues”, were in fact, huge, and were intentionally unaddressed by the church.
I always believed that love was the ultimate foundation of the church but I experienced it to be otherwise. Our family was driven from the church because our son is gay. I thought our church was growing in its thinking but I was wrong. This personal assault inflicted deep wounds and I have many questions. Is the church a reflection of Jesus when it chooses who is worthy of being loved? If the church isn’t expressing love to all people than is it really fulfilling the purpose that Jesus intended? Must we think the same way about people and issues in order to worship together?
There are many churches that value the diversity of our world. They have put into practice the love of Jesus by embracing all people. Their doors are open to all…no conditions. There are no requirements to think the same way about other matters either.
It can be difficult when others think differently than we do. As much as I preach that we are all on our own journey and may not think the same way, I can become frustrated when people don’t understand my point of view. I am heartbroken when I see people treated unfairly or referred to unkindly because of who they are. It is especially difficult when people close to me make decisions that reveal a position that hurts those I love. My heart breaks at the thought of it.
BUT…I am called to love and to remember that we are all on the journey. God is not finished with this world and He wants so much more than we can ever see.
We live in an amazingly diverse world created by God. Celebrate diversity this week!!
Blessings,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives!
There have been times in my life that I am so keenly aware of God that I sense His power and presence all around me. I am at peace. But, there are also times that I become so involved with the world that the noise drowns out His voice and I find myself disoriented and asking, “Lord, where are you?”
You, Lord, whisper my name through the busyness of life.
The world pauses to welcome Your words, and I hear.
All creation sings with joy at the sound of Your voice and I am reminded of Your love for me.
And God responds, “These words come from deep inside of you. I am there.”
Take time to pause and listen.
Blessings,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives
I believe that love and mercy are meant to be words of action, an outward expression toward another person. When we love someone we usually make a point of expressing our love in words, physical affection, or time. This causes people to feel loved and valued. When we feel merciful toward another, we actually experience their strife or pain and are often moved to be an active participant in their lives, helping in some way to remedy the situation.
My next book, The Power of Love and Mercy, is a collection of stories that show how when love and mercy become intertwined, amazing things happen. We need one another, and there are people in our midst that make it their life’s work to be ambassadors of love and mercy. So, not only will I share stories about the recipients of love and mercy, but I will be sharing about the champions who have dedicated their lives to that end.
How will you show love and mercy today?
There have been many times in my life when people that love me have shown amazing kindness. For that, I am forever thankful. There have also been moments in my life when extraordinary gestures of kindness have been offered by people I have never met before…just at the moment it was needed.
You know how it’s said that experiences often come in threes and result in one related lesson. For me, some of those moments occurred over a two week period in January of 1993.
It was the first snowfall of the season and our sons couldn’t have been more excited. They spent the morning sledding down the neighbor’s hill for hours. The knock at the door and the frightened face of a child just a few years older than our sons alerted me that there was an accident. She explained that as they were going down the hill together, it became clear that the path they were traveling was headed directly toward a fence, so everyone jumped off the sled except for Jamey, our older son. Jamey attempted to stop the sled by extending his foot, jarring his ankle into the fence.
I ran to the site, we loaded him on a sled and pulled him home. It was clear that this was no ordinary break. He became paler with every moment and began to shiver so I called 911 and we road to the hospital in the ambulance, leaving our younger son with a neighbor. I called my husband, who was working an hour away and he started home immediately, meeting us at the hospital later. I also called my parents. My mother was a nurse at the local hospital and knew all of the providers there. I was so grateful to look out the window of the ambulance to see my parents car riding beside. They were so loving and so very faithful. My parents waited for my husband to arrive and left when they knew the result of Jamey’s ankle.
Jamey had broken both sides of his ankle and required surgery. We waited for the surgeon to arrive and at midnight, we suited up and accompanied our son into surgery, leaving before they began. Surgery went well. They installed four screws into his ankle and he was in his room by 2:30 am. It was a very long night.
The next morning at around 7:00 am, the nurse alerted us that the news media was present and wanted to do a story about the first sledding injury of the season. We thanked them and refused the offer.
After it was clear that Jamey had recovered from surgery, they issued crutches and sent us on our way. He was in a cast for the next four months.
We were thankful. Thankful that the injury wasn’t worse and thankful that my parents lived close enough to lend their love and support.
Two weeks later, our family was met by a horrible loss. In the midst of a terrible ice storm, we heard that my mother had had a heart attack and was on her way to the hospital. My brother picked me up on his way, while my husband stayed home with our children. On our way to the hospital, I sensed what we were about to encounter and began to cry. My mother had been through so much over the past few months; colon cancer surgery, chemo and radiation. My dad met us with the devastating news. We were in shock. She was 63 years old.
The next few days were filled with planning a funeral and managing the ice as we ran back and forth to the funeral home. Jamey was still learning the ins and outs of his crutches and the ice was not helpful.
We decided as a family to have all ten grandchildren visit the funeral home at the same time. This was their beloved Grammy and we thought that they would benefit from the support of their cousins. We were all struggling and it helped to know our children were possibly distracted by their cousins.
When we arrived at my dad’s house after the viewing, we noticed that our younger son Jeremy’s eye was swollen shut. We knew he had allergies to lilies but called the doctor anyway. Jeremy had had several sinus infections that winter so when I shared the symptoms with the doctor, he sent us immediately to the emergency room. Jeremy was admitted and put on IV antibiotics. The next day, they did a scan that discovered the sinus infection had permeated the orbit of his eye… which can potentially lead to a more serious situation. Life was overwhelming.
My mother’s funeral was the next day. My in-laws kindly stayed with Jeremy while I attended my mother’s funeral. I was thankful to have him in their capable hands.
Jeremy remained in the hospital having IV antibiotics for a week. I was by his side every moment. The hospital provided a cot so I could sleep in his room.
The many visitors helped to encourage both of us. But, there was one in particular that stands out for me. Because we were having difficulties with the phone in the room, the hospital sent a man to repair it. He was a very kind older gentleman whose smile lit up the room. He took time to entertain us with card tricks and humor, bringing joy to our very sad hearts. It felt good to laugh. When he left, his joy-filled presence remained. It was like a shroud had been lifted.
The next day, the phone was again in disrepair and he returned. It was the same wonderful experience.
Before Jeremy’s discharge from the hospital, I wanted to thank the man for the beautiful way he lifted our spirits. I asked the staff about him but no one in the hospital knew who I was talking about. It was as if God sent an angel to encourage us. I will never forget him. This happened twenty-six years ago.
I believe we are called to do acts of kindness. They are essential to being human. They can be very simple or a more complex gesture, but the result is the same. People experience love.
Jesus was a beautiful example of kindness. His life was devoted to expressing the love of His Father to all people.
Sometimes the smallest of gestures can leave an impact for a lifetime.
Show someone a kindness today!
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives
I See You
The sweetest words that we can ever receive from another… I see you. I hear your words. I know your struggles. I feel your pain.
The most encouraging words… I see your heart. You are forgiven. You belong. There is hope.
The most powerful… I know you. You have purpose. I will go with you. You are loved.
I see you!
By Carol Marchant Gibbs
I have had the privilege of hearing many people’s personal stories through the years. It no longer surprises me, the ease at which people share their hearts and lives. People want to be known and whether their lives have been completely joy-filled or riddled with challenges, people are always eager share who they are and where they have been.
I am frequently overwhelmed by the injustice that many have been forced to endure in their lives. Life can be so unfair at times and it causes me to ask the question; Why? What if life was different for them? What would the world look like if everyone understood their true value? What if every person had a support system that came alongside them to encourage them throughout life? How would we respond to one another if we loved without conditions? What if we truly loved?
I often think about the way Jesus modeled love. To Jesus, love is not only a feeling but an active participation in the life of another. He has loved us from the beginning of time and has been actively involved in our lives, many times we are totally unaware. But, human beings don’t always love the way Jesus does. We need a reason to love, to see the best in others before we can choose to love them. Thankfully, that is not the way Jesus loves us. Jesus’ life of love was and is today for the sake of others. What would it look like if our lives reflected that same love?
May Jesus show Himself to each of us this Easter season. May our hearts be filled with the compassion that only He can give and may we love others as He does.
Have a blessed Easter!!
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives
The Goodness of Life
I celebrate the goodness of life. Memories dance joyfully through my mind. They fill my heart with gratitude. I cherish the moments. I think of You as I am still… and I know.
I celebrate the goodness of life. It has been a gift to me. I smile when I think of family; “I do” for a magnificent lifetime. The gift of children warms my heart. I am captivated by their beauty.
I celebrate the goodness of life. The laughter of grandchildren fills the air like beautiful music, it captures my soul. Hugs and more hugs. My heart is overwhelmed with joy.
I celebrate the goodness of life. For You have shown me what is good, Oh Lord. I see your reflection in the face of another and I am completely undone.
I celebrate the goodness of life. You beckon to me to speak for those who cannot for themselves. I welcome the privilege and open my mouth…Your words come forth. “Well done”, You say. I dance for joy and You celebrate the goodness of life.
By Carol Marchant Gibbs
The challenges of this life can easily blind us to the joys in this world. It is too easy to focus on the hardships and miss the goodness that is occurring all around us.
I attended a funeral this week that powerfully brought this to mind. It is in moments such as these that I am reminded of the goodness of this life. There is much to celebrate. Even in the midst of sorrow, God shows up in extraordinary ways, pouring His love upon the grief, bringing an ointment to the loss.
I am reminded that there is intention in our existence. We were created for a purpose. Our lives are not our own but designed to be given away. Like a sweet offering we are to bring the goodness of life to this world. Each day is a new opportunity to offer a life of celebration to another.
Share the celebration this week!
Stories Changing Lives
Listen
We are strangers yet I think I know all about you. My thoughts answer questions as we sit face to face.
“Who ARE you”?, I ask with great anticipation. You smile and respond with your kindness and grace.
Then you joyfully tell of your family and friends. You share childhood adventures, the turns and the bends.
You tell of your antics, your books and your forts. You talk about music and your favorite sports.
I smile in agreement, then share after a time. Great laughter erupts…and your friendship is mine.
Then, we share of our hardships, our struggles and fears. You take hold of my hand to give comfort to tears.
We share of our victories and of our great faith… Our marriages, children, and we celebrate.
We listen and learn and cherish our time. Now family to me… for a lifetime.
Listen.
By Carol Marchant Gibbs
Something profound happens when we take time to really listen to another person. Listening can appear to be a very simple gesture but it has the potential to change us. Our hearts become open to new attitudes and our lives to new friendships.
Too often, our assumptions can deceive us, painting pictures of people that are a poor distortion of who they really are.
Allow the Great Artist to reveal a masterpiece to you today. May you be blessed with the gift of listening.
Blessings,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives!!!
