Tender moments

John 13:12-15

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

I've been blessed, recently, with a scattering of "tender moments" that serve to console and affirm.

Moments that somehow mop up the rivers of loss and begin to soak into a new terrain, making the ground seem more familiar, the landscape less scary.

Conversations that demonstrate careful listening from another. 

Encounters in which I've been held in love.

And personal growth and understanding that signal conviction and calling.

Whether virtual or face to face, these moments are life giving, God-filled spaces that provide some solid ground amidst all the floundering.

To be really listened to - and not just in the gap while another prepares to speak is a gift beyond price.

To be held as a confidant and a counsellor when it seems that for so long I have loitered on the fringes feels like a warm embrace.

And to know God using these teaching moments to pour love and understanding, calling forth courage and conviction brings healing and blessing.

For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.