Currents December 2024

I had a conversation with a new friend who lives on the other side of the world this morning. Through the miracles of technology, we were able to see each other’s faces, and I could appreciate the light emanating from her. She shared an outlook on life that struck me: “How will I know how good I am at something if I don’t try?” I had a little twinge of guilt as I continued in that conversation, and in the back of my mind I was reminded that this is not usually my attitude. There are times that I certainly have needed to do something, so I have figured it out, made a go, tried my best, Googled instructions, asked for help if needed, and learned that I can actually do more than I thought I could. But there are also many things that I have not done because I was unsure, insecure, doubtful, scared, or stubborn. My sister sews clothes, sometimes with great success, and sometimes not, but she does it anyway. I don’t, because I am afraid of doing it wrong. What if I could be a great seamstress, but I just don’t know it because I haven’t tried? What if it is okay to try and fail and learn and get better? That is, after all, what I would tell my children or a friend. I would encourage them to be more than I am. 

I listened to an audiobook recently that was filled with examples of people whose determined contributions improved their corner of the world and actually changed and improved so much more than they ever thought they would do. My friend, who is faithfully persevering through some of the hardest situations life could possibly throw at a person, recommended it. One of the people introduced to me by Sharon McMahon’s The Small and the Mighty was Virginia Estelle Randolph. She was the child of former slaves and worked tirelessly as an educator. McMahon emphasized how Randolph was able to do so much good for so many in an area and time when there were seemingly insurmountable obstacles on all sides by simply doing the next needed thing.

This, my friends, is abundance. It is looking at the world through a gratitude- and faith-focused lens and seeing possibility. It is recognizing that we can move forward through trials, work with what we have, do what is needed, learn and grow, and even if it seems like it is only in small ways, change the world. 

The articles we have this month have made me recognize the opportunities I have before me and remember with gratitude the blessings I have had in my life. Katrina shares with us the abundance her family is thankful for as they have lost their grandfather, but have his legacy of love. This made me think of my own departed grandfather and all he did to shape me. I remember sitting in the kitchen at my grandparents’ small home while my grandmother made simple soup and Grandma and Grandpa would teasingly argue over whether the key ingredient was a rusty nail or a stone. Shelli’s musings over soup remind us all what Grandma and Grandpa knew: the key ingredient is love. Macey, a new volunteer with Big Ocean Women, opens up to us about times in her life when she felt an ache that was filled by answered prayers and simple friendship. I know I have been blessed by wonderful friends, and hope that I have been and can be a friend to those in need. Emily tells how the Virtual WAVE connects us to our sisters from around the globe and hearing from each other can inspire us. Norma reports about our wonderful WAVE in Jos, Nigeria led by Fatima and the good works they are doing with their abundance mindset. She then shares a new understanding she gained about abundance in the Bible, and an inspiring story about the simple but impactful ability to spread cheer. We also have for you information about some of the WAVE projects for which we are currently fundraising. Your contributions, whatever the size, can have an important and lasting impact!