It is in times of great distress that comfort is needed, but can be overlooked because of pressing action and immediate needs.
It may take special insight and compassion to know that there is need for comfort to be given for a soul wrecked by crisis and trauma.
Soul comfort needs something soft and gentle, whether it be a kind word, a knowing look or a fleeting touch. Comfort is a gentleness given when the soul is bruised, frightened or crushed.
Gentleness has a wordless language of its own. It is a conveyor of love.
This became evident to me as I read Gene’s story of her major endeavour to collect soft toys for the children of the recent Mozambique floods. Her main purpose was to bring a comfort to the children who had gone through this traumatic event, where all had been lost. And though the immediate and practical needs were huge with regard to shelter, clean water, food, clothing bedding and such like, there was also the need for comfort of the soul, (not often recognised as a need) – but that can bring about an assurance that despite it all, all will be well.
It was her insightful compassion that sparked me into action to get my small Care Bag of Bibles and vegetable seeds to Mozambique, which happened in an amazing string of events. Gene’s endeavour was met with more hurdles, logistics being the main problem. Nevertheless she persevered and has now finally been able to bring her mission to completion.
Here are a few photos of the soft toys she collected, some made by ladies of a local needlework group who wanted to make a contribution, her own handcraft of little kids bags and collections from other generous sources. These will all find their way into the hands of various Churches and given to the children of Mozambique as a token of comfort and love in their loss.
To me Gene’s thoughtful gentleness is a spark of inspiration, and may her tribe increase !
It reminds me of a song we use to sing :
It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around will warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God Love,
Once you’ve experienced it
You want to love, you want to give
to all who are around.
CareSA 