People are perplexing especially when it comes to building community. Given the chance to offer their resources -- time, money, labor -- many choose lip service and little else. To me, the problem with limiting support to words is that words do nothing to advance progress unless they are backed by action.
We assume those with the most resources will offer up the most help. This is not true. Often very prosperous people are too busy building their own dreams to participate in community. The same can be said about people who have time and talents to spare. They view work in terms of compensation, and, unfortunately, causes and movements need gracious, unpaid volunteers. The irony is clear -- those who could do the most are often self-centered and materialistic. They do nothing but talk. This leaves the blood, sweat, and stress to people with very marginal resources who sacrifice "me" for others: these folks are the Dependable Hearts.
Understanding purpose in kindness and personal commitment, Dependable Hearts say "yes" to work with little hesitation. Although they do not possess much but their hands, minds, and spirit, Dependable Hearts are not strangers to challenges. In fact, they thrive in opportunities to display their initiative.
We should know why Dependable Hearts are the "soldiers in the trenches of social change. Isn't their involvement born in their deep understanding of personal experience? These workhorses are not perfect souls or lily-white-robed saints. Instead, I believe most Dependable Hearts have approached the edge and teetered on the cliffs. Some have fallen and survived, and all realize that grace has kept them alive. They have accepted that the bonds of friendships and love extend beyond familiarity.
I notice the smiles that emanate from these busy Dependable Hearts These smiles are genuine independent, unique expressions of character. The blessings of their upturned lips are beyond skin deep. Dependable Hearts project their happiness with the understanding that they risk judgments and false impressions, yet they have found peace with ignoring the attitude of others who wonder "Who are you to care?" Dependable Hearts' smiles come from their gentle souls.
The lesson here is that the harvest of the fruit is accomplished by the hard work of those closest to natural, kindred empathy, not necessarily by those with the most resources who have somehow placed themselves above getting their hands dirty and calloused in the orchards. Dependable Hearts have acclimated themselves to these laborious conditions as they have accepted the old cliche of "nobody said it was going to be easy." They become the "old hands" and the "workhorses" that, as Larry the Cable Guy so eloquently states "Git-R-Done."
How much easier would it be to effect needed societal change if everyone learned to be a Dependable Heart? We all would gain love and respect working together to accomplish our dreams. You see, I notice another very important quality of Dependable Hearts. They are blind in many respects. Their blindness is born on acceptance and the ability to view a broad spectrum and narrow it into two divisions: (1) right, and (2) wrong.
Dependable Hearts do not see differences as threats -- different colors, creeds, ages, sexes, philosophies, financial statuses, and abilities do not matter. They are blind to prejudice. All they care about seeing in their workmates is another pair of willing hands laboring to make things right. When any person commits to the cause, they are accepted by other Dependable Hearts as a human being as one willing to give from his or her talents.
I have been lucky enough to befriend many Dependable Hearts. Please, don't misunderstand me. They have problems and troubles just like everyone else. Dependable Hearts sin and they suffer and they feel pain. And, they occasionally argue among themselves. Yet, why are they not quitters and why don't they become undependable? Their tremendous asset is not money, property, or position. Their riches are their other Dependable Heart friends. And they have learned rock-solid dependence upon others is "the way it should be." How else does the work get done? I can tell you. Without Dependable Hearts coming together, it doesn't.
God bless you, Dependable Hearts. Never stop beating and never stop believing.
"Like the body that is made up of different limbs and organs,
all moral creatures must depend on each other to exist."
--Proverb
No comments:
Post a Comment