A famous quote that I strive to embody was delivered centuries ago by St. Francis of Assisi:
“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”
During this Lenten Season on the Christian calendar, may we challenge ourselves to do just that, and to occasionally insert the action that resonates with us most at any given moment:
Preach Love and sometimes use words.
Preach Joy and sometimes use words.
Preach Unity and sometimes use words.
Preach Graciousness and sometimes use words.
Preach Generosity and sometimes use words.
You get the point…
May we be intentional about having our actions, our attitudes, and our very lives speak on our behalf – during this season leading up to Easter and well beyond.
Today’s Food for Thought is a profound declaration from 16th century theologian Martin Luther: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
What about you?
Would you still give, still love, still honor others and operate in integrity if tomorrow were not promised?
Would you still write, sing, paint, nurture others, pray, dance, fly, bake, organize or whatever it is you most enjoy?
If yes, then that must be the thing you’re called to do, the imprint you’re meant to leave on the world.
So today, and every day, do it well, with all your heart. In the process, you’ll be honoring all that you are, while gifting this world with the best of you.
I write fiction and nonfiction to empower women, but I care just as deeply about advocating for children. So when my award-winning author friend Kwame Alexander invited me and others to accompany him to the Motherland to foster literacy in a couple of rural villages (and fit in a safari), this was one of those quick “yes” moments – Kenya, here I come!
We visited from June 30 – July 8, and I am still basking in the afterglow of having traveled with 20 amazing writers, librarians and teachers (and their children or partners) who care about reading, writing and the transformative power of education.
I was thrilled to read to these preschool students in Wamunyu, Kenya
I traveled with award-winning authors Kwame Alexander (right) and Jerry Craft (left)
Our U.S. group of authors, teachers, librarians, and the friends and family who accompanied us to Kenya.
It was an honor to nurture these gifts in the several hundred school children our group met through the nonprofit Kenya Connect, which serves students and families in 60-plus rural schools, and to meet with librarians and teachers to brainstorm next-level ways to engage these young learners and parents.
My takeaways from this trip?
There are many! I’m still processing the life lessons, and my creative juices are flowing, but here are a few immediate nuggets:
1. Be present in each moment.
Getting an opportunity to dance with village women one day and members of the Maasai tribe on another;
inspire schoolchildren,
sign and giveaway copies of my books,
wake up to the sounds of hippos and elephants grazing near my glammed-up tent, see those and numerous other animals in their natural habitat (including a leopard and cheetah and hundreds of zebra migrating to Maasai Mara) while bonding with my amazing fellow travelers? Priceless and Unforgettable.
2 Don’t postpone joy.
When you can, say yes to opportunities and experiences and delight yourself in something new. You may not be able to travel the globe, yet there are other ways you can expand your mind, give back and grow.
3. Find inspiration all around you.
The proverbial icing on this experience for me was sitting at dinner one evening listening to Kwame and his dear friend and fellow New York Times bestselling author Jerry Craft trade ideas based on our adventures, while I independently brainstormed new threads for my novel-in-progress.
These two authors and the other writers in our group offered one another helpful doses of motivation to keep going, dream bigger and celebrate our stories as well as those of the people we encountered.
Ultimately, the sharing and educating that occurred during this trip were mutually enriching. May we Americans have left our friends in Africa as full of the hope and appreciation for collaboration that they gifted to us.
I loved reading to these attentive students!
This sweet girl clung to me and the delight was mutual!
I gifted a copy of my women’s fiction novel The Someday List to Nada!
Esther, the librarian for Kenya Connect, was delighted to receive a copy of Watercolored Pearls.
I bought many baskets from village women in rural Kenya, including the one made by Elizabeth, which she is holding.
Preparing to leave Nairobi for the Massai Mara desert.
Some of my travel companions and I preparing for Day 2 of our safari.
One of the many animals we saw close up!
Seeing the animals, like this elephant, in their natural habitat, was breathtaking.
One of the Massai tribe women, who sold me jewelry.
We all took turns posing in this beautiful tree!
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You get to choose who you’ll be and how you’ll move through this world. Why not do so in a way that you’ll treasure with gratitude and great memories? Here are 9 tips to fuel your process:
1) Don’t let your motivation to do well or do the right thing be driven by what others do or don’t do; be excellent and operate with integrity regardless of how it’s received.
2) What others think of you truly is their business; respect yourself while respecting their choice to choose.
3) Lead with love, because this is still what we all need most.
4) Remember that what you see isn’t always what it is. A fleeting perception or assumption about someone or a particular circumstance could be completely wrong. Base your opinions instead on that person’s actions and attitude over the course of time; because who they truly are will spill out over time. Accept that truth when it’s revealed, and be okay either way.
5) Choose joy. Life is too short to let grudges, gossip, guilt, greed or the like derail you. Joy is the secret sauce that keeps you going and gives you hope.
6) Speak your vision for your life and live it. Instead of wishing it were better or different or easier, embrace what it is and get busy creating a better, different, easier life for you and your loved ones.
7) Have fun and go for gold; but don’t “get yours” and leave others to fend for themselves. When you open your heart enough to care about and make sacrifices for the benefit of all humanity, you’ll enrich your own world more than you could imagine.
8) Decide to get uncomfortable enough to try something new. You never know what opportunities, blessings and growth are just waiting for you to show up.
9) Take time to be kind or to simply be available. You are the gift someone needs today.
Still Unfolding with Stacy Hawkins Adams 