You Can't Wipe Off Shadows

 The phrase caught hold of my ear and pulled my nose from my book. I glanced up to where the others were milling about cooking food over the fire, commented on the strange word combination and went back to reading.

You can't wipe off shadows. I finished the book, our camping weekend ended and we all went to our separate homes, but those words stayed with me. I don't know what the phrase was referring to in it's original conversation but I knew they'd make the perfect blog post if I thought long enough to pull a meaning from them. Sure enough. Sitting on a mower all day gives a person time to think and it didn't take long to have it all written up - in my head. Sitting on the mower is not conducive to writing a blog post tho, so that is why it has taken me a long time to even start this.

Whatever I say here is purely my imagination so if you form a different opinion that's entirely up to you. If you want to confront me, go ahead but I won't argue.

You can't wipe off shadows. Everyone's life includes shadows. Monsters, baggage, call it what you will but in this post it's all referred to as shadows. Physically, shadows are caused by different objects blocking the sun's direct light. To remove these shadows you only have two options - take away the sun or take away the objects, both of which are impossible. You can't wipe the sun out of the sky, neither can you remove all objects from the earth.

Everyone has shadows. Maybe their childhood was rotten. Maybe someone they love was taken cruelly from them. Maybe they made bad decisions. Whatever these shadows are, they stay with their respective people forever. Nothing these people do can change the fact that they have been hurt or are hurt. Nothing can wipe off those shadows.  

Here's the catch. You can't wipe them off but these shadows aren't stains. Shadows don't have to be an ugly blotch on your life that you are ashamed of or angry at. You can change your position. As long as you are looking at the shadow, everything will look like a dark stain but as soon as you turn to face the sun the shadows fall behind you. Take a few steps til you reach the edge of the tall object in your way, take your thoughts off of your childhood, and suddenly there's light. Step out from under that tree, away from your former bad decisions, and you'll need sunglasses. Let go of your umbrella, the thought that you failed the one/s stolen from you and the shadow will fall away.

You will always have a shadow. You can't physically remove your shadow and leave it, but you can face the sun and not dwell on your shadow which is now behind you. There will also be days when the sun hides itself in the clouds and the whole earth turns into a gloomy shadow. On those days, your shadow seems to expand and it seems there's no sunlight, no matter which way you turn. But the sun always returns to drive out the shadows and still extends the offer to make your shadow fall behind you.

 So there you have it. You won't be able to remove your shadows with a cloth and some muscle but you can find the sun and leave those shadows where they belong. Behind you, in the past.

Throwback

 A beautiful Sunday morning dawns, raining and cozy. It's quiet at Christian Child Care. Everyone is still enjoing the peace sleep offers. The night girl struggles to stay awake. The train again whilstles its long, mournful call, as if telling of the pain hidden from men's eyes in Gallup

A phone call breaks the silence. Six children in need of a place to call home. Someone to comfort and soothe the pain that is deep inside their hearts. Girls stumble groggily from their beds of slumber. Their spirit is willing but their flesh is week.

Dirty, so dirty a bath doesn't even take it all off. Even some blood. So, so stinky. Wounds too deep for us to deal with, a Dr. maybe. Their clothes are ill fitting. Barfoot and only a diaper. Scratched. Hair full of lice.

 They smile timidly. Arms reaching out for someone they can trust.  She reaches down, picking him up. He snuggles close, lice, dirt and all. His arms encirlce his neck and he sighs as he lays his head on her shoulder. 

They cry as they are cleaned up, but soon they quiet. Happy smiles smine from their once lonely, sad faces. A new dress, a clean diaper. Lice are dealt with, wounds cleaned, food for their hungry tummies. Smiles and hugs. Love where there hadn't been any. 

There's a call.. to go.. feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the broken. Will you leave your fun social lives, your well paying jobs and the comfort of your blessed beyond measure homes? Will you leave it all to hold these broked children close? You're cup will be filled to overfilling.

By: Jo

 Not my inspiration today. But I lived the same mirning. The faces and sadness and shock are etched just as cearly on my mind. And this post will help it stay there and remind me that not all are half as privileged as I am. Thanks Jo.

 

This post was first written up almost a year ago. Somehow it never got posted then and I decided to post it now. It may be almost a year ago but it still is my history. I lived that morning. Sure it was a semi ordinary morning by Gallup standards. But something about those 6 severely neglected, rejected kids struck a cord in everyones' hearts and we will never forget them. Maybe it was the 2 year old boy who was wearing nothing but a diaper and an adult sized bright pink sweater.  Maybe it was the skinny 6 year old who nonchalantly told me that she was glad they were at CCC because we took care of them instead of neglecting them like she was used to. Whatever it was that made us all hurt a little more for them, that morning and those 6 skinny, neglected kids will always be etched in our minds and hearts.