01.28.2026 | Ordinary Wednesday

Love, Still
What I can do today…
 
There is an eerie silence as the snow absorbs the sounds of the city on this mid‑week morning. A soft, unexpected hush settles over everything. For a brief moment, in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, there is calm. There is peace. Urban snowfalls have their own kind of magic. The hustle and bustle slow, and even the city seems to pause long enough to breathe.
 
This year has been hard on so many levels. The garden has always been my sanctuary, a place of prayer, grounding, and escape from the noise. But the weather has not been very cooperative for this old gardener. The extreme cold reminded me, rather bluntly, that I can only do so much for so long. It was a lesson I didn’t want but needed. I can only do so much.
 
Henri Nouwen once asked a series of questions that have stayed with me:
“Did I offer peace today?
Did I bring a smile to someone’s face?
Did I say words of healing?
Did I let go of my anger and resentment?
Did I forgive?
Did I love?”
 
I would add one more: Was I kind?
 
These are the questions. These are the things I can do. I can’t fix the world. I can’t quiet every storm. But I can do this. In a moment of absolute chaos, I can choose these small, steady acts of love.
Was I kind? Did I love? Did I forgive?
 
I pray that I will be able to answer yes. Yes, and maybe just a little bit more.
 
“Let all that you do be done in love.”
1 Corinthians 16:14