I want to make a difference

This is quilt 12 of 45 for the remainder of 2014.  I can't believe the year is speeding by so quickly.  My vacation week is coming to a close and then there are 15 days of school left.  3 of those are finals tests, so really only 12 days of teaching left this semester.  Ack!

Being down in Los Angeles this week and being so close to the protests because of the decision about the Michael Brown shooting case has me thinking.  No matter what you are feeling on the ruling, I think it is important to make a difference in this world on a daily basis.

From what people are upset about, they are feeling like people of colors' lives aren't as important as people whose skin is pale.  I teach high school and hear racial comments all the time.  I'm a very white person.  I didn't choose to be born with less melanin in my skin and don't feel like I judge people based on how light or dark they are, but I do need to make a conscious effort to make every student in my class feel like they are important.  I am sure to make eye contact with as many students as I can daily and to ask questions about things going on in their lives because I truly do care.  But, caring takes time and often hurts.  It is inconvenient.  It costs.  It isn't easy.  I can't do it alone.

As a Christian, I rely on God to give me the strength daily to make the choice to put others first.  The greatest command in the Bible is this:

Mark 12:30-31New International Version (NIV)

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]There is no commandment greater than these.”

I fail daily to keep these commands, but I get up and try again and hope that every time I try, I make a small difference in the life of those around me.  I pray for the people who are hurting and feel their only option is to block traffic, vandalize buildings, destroy property and hurt other people because they are in so much pain.

I hope that by making and giving away all of these quilts to children who are hurting, they will grow up and remember that someone took the time to care about them when they had pain.  Maybe they will realize that there are people who really do care and that with these little acts of kindness, we will be able to change the world one quilt at a time.