All Things

Her entrance in the waiting area of the bus station commanded respect and attention. She came in with the aid of two crude homemade canes and a family member at her arm. Everyone waited with festive excitement for their arrival but they also did not fail to greet and give respect to grandmother. Her presence filled the room.

I observed her for a long time, letting her appearance soak into my mind. She wore a blue checked apron that almost completely covered her flowered dress and a heavy brown wool sweater. A scarf accented the mismatched outfit. Her gray hair was braided and tied together. A straw hat with yellow ribbon completed this indigenous outfit. But most striking of all was her leathery face and dark piercing eyes hiding underneath that straw hat.

She commanded attention not only because of her position in the family but because of her life journey and her connection to the ancient ways. As I observed I thought, and as I thought I hurt. What were her chances of inheriting eternal life?

In the back of the room a young child of the family was being tossed into the air and squealing with delight oblivious to the presence of the old grandmother, to the ancient ways, but very much in the circle of influence. What are his changes of inheriting eternal life? Is it possible to step outside the influence?

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" (Mark 10:27)