Tears flow as she heads down the highway. Alone, her thoughts are jumbled. She has no idea what she will find at the end of her journey.
Her day started with a silent prayer, a warm cup of coffee, and her daily devotional. Her early morning routine is interrupted as she intuitively picks up the phone. Her mother has had a massive heart attack and the doctors are not sure if she was going to make it.
Scared and six hours away from the hospital, she frantically throws things into her car. She tried unsuccessfully to reach her husband who is out of town on a business trip. She knew she needed to rise up in spite of the devastating news, but right now what she needed was someone to sit beside her, to console her and get her through this emotional upheaval as she perceives the unimaginable.
Her angel for this arduous trip was a friend who called every hour on the hour lifting her up in prayer, finding comfort for her tears. Arriving at the hospital, the caring voice calmed her as she received the news that her mother was in emergency surgery for a blockage which required two stents. For two hours, she bowed her head and waited, breathing in every word when the phone rang. This special woman with kindness and generosity of spirit got her through the worst time of her life.
In the darkest of moments, hope rises up. The protection from the storm was found in inspirational prayers and soothing words and reassuring, hourly conversations. After the surgery, the doctors were very encouraging and felt the damage had been repaired. In the weeks that followed, guided by love she stayed at her mother’s side and watched as they grew stronger in the hope of a new day. We rise up by being there for others and in turn, someone will be there for you.
In telling this true story I am remained of the lyrics of a song by Andra Day.
When the silence isn’t quiet
And it feels like it’s getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we’ll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
And I’ll rise up
We all have mountains to climb. We all fall. We all may break. But an act of kindness can help to lift the burden from your heart. This beacon of love and hope is in all of us. We all rise up by encouraging one another, building each other up when we are too weak to stand alone. In turn, be an inspiration for others to follow.
