Notes from The Rev. Hilary West,
Missioner in Mexico
This month's note from The Rev. Hilary West reminds us of the importance of caring for others. Christmas may still be months away but this note holds meaning, even now in the heat of summer!
Yesterday, Christmas Eve, was really cold, especially in the morning. I drove out to do some errands with a bag of coins on the seat beside me. An indigenous woman, bent and wrinkled, with her reboso, empty of child, pulled tightly around her head and shoulders against the wind and chill, walked slowly toward me at the intersection. Snug and warm, swaddled in my jacket and Toyota, I reached for the bag. Her smile was a blessing even before I pressed 5 pesos into her hand. Her "gracias" was followed by a hesitant "żno tiene cobija?" Behind her I saw a young man curled up on the grassy median. Answering the question in my eyes, she said, "that's my son; he's sick." I told her that I didn't have a blanket with me in the car just then. Again, a bright patient smile absolved me as the light changed and I drove on. I reasoned to myself that my jacket would have been too small for him, even while I knew that, really, it was one of my favorites.
Today, Christmas, is even colder. I have blankets in my chilly house that I'm not using and more than a few sweaters and jackets that I don't wear. They seem to be calling out. It's not guilt that I feel, just the steady realization that they're no longer mine.
So, the cat is fed, the front seat is crammed with blankets and jackets and some wooly scarves and gloves. At first light, after first coffee and festival oatmeal, I'll run a few more errands. And look for Jesus...
Merry Christmas.
|
