It's strange how seemingly insignificant moments in my past come back vividly by the littlest prompt or cue. No matter how trivial it seems at the time, to me or others around me, certain moments leave lasting imprints in my heart and mind.
Pete's Bandaid did that for me several months ago. Pete, a good friend of ours, works at the Baby Fold. This time was not the first time he spoke about his job, but his bandaid "badge" struck a chord with me.
For several days, he wore a bandaid with "400 women" written on it. This number represents the number of pregnant women last year who need support because they themselves are victims of neglect or abuse or are struggling in ways many of us cannot imagine. They need help....but the funds aren't there to offer support.
This bandaid conjured up a childhood memory when I was 5 or 6 years old. Walking home from Vacation Bible School, the pastor of the tiny church chatted with my mom and me. He noticed I was picking a scab on my arm, and gently pointed out that that scab was God's way of providing a bandaid and allowing my wound to heal. To pick it off was hurting and hindering that healing process. I've never forgotten that metaphor.
One of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, in his book, With Burning Hearts, defines the commonality of pain, "If there is any word that summarizes well our pain, it is the word 'loss.' We have lost so much!" As I've grown up, I've learned we all go through various losses...some much deeper than others. I've struggled with the question, if God cared about my scraped elbow, wouldn't He care about humans' experience of loss in all sorts of forms?
I continue to wrestle with this, but grow more and more convinced we are to be part of God's Bandaid. This verse has been a recurring anthem in my mind, "Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11
It's overwhelming and paralyzing, at times, to find a place or a role in the world's healing process. But Pete's Bandaid was just the nudge I needed.
