An Invocation from Jennifer Hayes, MDiv, BCC, Director of Spiritual Care

Hey, you. Yes, you. I see you.

In a month where hearts are at the center of what we do, I see your heart swell with joy, and I see your heart shattering. I see the sparkle in your eyes shift as you wrestle with how we humans perceive moments so differently even though we experience them together.

He celebrates with unbridled glee.

She laments, full of despair.

They suffer…seemingly alone.

And in the midst of it all, we brace ourselves knowing we have work to do—good work. Hard work. Humbling work. Work that charges us to honor the sanctity of every child whose heart aches and breaks; who is queasy, worried, and quieted with misplaced shame…

And it hurts our hearts, hearts that that so desperately desire each child to see themselves how we see them—sacred…which is ironic considering so many of us struggle to acknowledge our own sacredness.    

So, yes, I see you—the one who is climbing a ladder absent of any rungs, and I offer you this blessing:

May you find that intellectual integrity and faith are not mutually exclusive.

May you feel the tenderness of your own heart, recognizing your worth.

May the pressure to keep up appearances and maintain status quo disappear as you discover authentic self-acceptance.  

May you hold love close and feel love holding you.

So yea, I see you—overwhelmed, heartsore, stuck among the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens; beautiful, smart, rare—and I see your value and know your entire being is worth blessing…even when your heart trembles. 

Amen.