Heart in Action

Justice is what love looks like in public.

It’s to easy not to care. Most morning when we wake up, we merely think about anything, but what the day holds for us and what we have to do. Obligatory tasks. Free time wasters. It is human nature. But we are not excused for our ignorance.

We live in the age of knowledge. We are held accountable for what we knew, or could have known, and ignored.

Life isn’t about what has happened to you. Or what people think of you. Or how you are feeling right now.

Not because these aren’t important, but because these should be secondary to how you are affecting other people. It is a cycle that cannot be broken. Let me explain.

When we step out in love for people, and offer a hand, or a smile, a kind word and a gracious offering, we are changing someone else’s world, for the better. Regardless of their response, that little act of kindness and love is breaking down walls erected around their heart. Be it a pebble or a brick, or eventually the entire wall, it is making a difference.

On thing I have learnt in my limited experience, is that when you love others, you love yourself. I cant explain that logic. I guess it is a law. Like the law of gravity.

If you doubt me, give it a go.

On Sunday, a few friends and I delivered 50 hampers to a housing commission community. We have been in this community for 3 years, fixing up their gardens, giving them clothes, sitting and talking with them. I met one lady with schizophrenia. It was so sad. She sat there, talking normally, then start manifesting. I would ask her what the voices said and she would scream at us to get out. We just sat and talked with her, and prayed for her, and then she wept, said thank you, and that it was her birthday. This happened all in 45 minutes. It didn’t take long to change someones day.

I visited OASIS centre today. A youth refugee in the city, and Streetlevel, an outreach centre with free meals, councelling and showers. That is where I see hands and feet, actively moving, heart in motion. And smiles. The volunteers are grinning. The marginalized and forgotten remembered by a stranger with a heart.

So over this holiday period, who can you smile at? Who needs a small gift of compassion and empathy? Is there an old lady who doesn’t have family? Bake her some cookies. Those of us who are so lucky, we are so few. The majority of the world is lost, forgotten and alone. So lets love someone else, even for 5 minutes. You never know whose world it could change.

Bubble of Nothing

I feel like I entered a stranger universe. A bubble perhaps. Where today is clouded and confusing. Nothing quite makes full sense. It is like having two pieces of a puzzle, that look perfect together in theory, but just don’t quite fit. That is my brain and body, and the rest of the outside world.

I stopped by the coolest blog today. Girlmeetsnyc and read an amazing entry. Check it out. I love this quote.

Speak justice, the language that can change the world.

I feel complete when I do justice.

Today is not the right day for me to start on my favourite topic, work is almost over and my fingers are tired from my day of typing. But I vow to blog more on this topic.

The rest of my evening, I am predicting, will be spent in this bubble. It is slightly secure. A little frustrating.

I did something funny the other night. I had my grad dinner. It was my 4th one so I wasn’t really to into it. During speeches my friend C and I decided it would be funny to sit under the table, beneath the elegant white table cloth, in our sexy designer dresses and heals. I’m not sure what possessed us to be so ‘silly’ and ‘childlike’ but hey, you only live once and I’ve heard these same speeches four years in a row. Everyone thought it was pretty funny, until my date, also known as my pretty-much-brother/boy-best-friend got a glass of water and threw it into my face.

My hair, make up and dress were completely attacked. I cleaned up ok and no one could tell, but he spent the rest of the night in disgrace!

The Week I Protested at Parliament

The last 4 days have been spent camping. That is right, B the princess, braved the ground, the dew and even went without a GHD for 3 nights! All for the cause of Human Trafficking. I went to Canberra, the capital of Austalia, with World Vision, to campaign against the use of Child Labour in making chocolate. Every person who learns that Cadburry and Nestle, and all the big chocolate companies use slave labour are horrified. To learn more visit, http://www.don'ttradelives.com.au/ Seriously, this is a massive issue, and the more people that become aware of it, the faster we can change the problem.

I met the most amazing people over the last 4 days. There were teenages to adults, 15 to 25, all passionate about making a difference in the world. The younger teenagers were more mature than some of my friends, and new where they were going and what they wanted to do. The older ones, the guys my age, were all studying politics, law, international studies. I was so inspired by their passion to change the world.

Check out my other blog http://www.abolitionistdiaries.wordpress.com/ for all the info on the week and world issues/how to stop slavery. But I will say this here...I walked on the green manicured lawns outside parliament, protesting, with banners, drums, and chants, to stop human trafficking and child exploitation in chocolate manufacturing! And I was in the paper...I'll put that in next post!

The thing that got me the most, was that everyone has a different part to play. Whilst I was the only actress out of 150 people, everyone accepted who each other were. There are times, when I wish I were a lawyer, or politician. Where I want to be smarter, have more influence in the decision making arena. But I know I'm entering the industry I'm meant to, where I can influence the media and people who look up to the 'pop stars' and 'movie starlets'.

Everyone wants influence. Deep down everyone wants to see change happen in something.

What do you want to see changed?

I have previously had another blog, I was very attached too, but my sister found it on the history page on the family computer, which I use about once a year, and has started reading about my secret life. So I've started a new blog. I hate good byes and new starts. But here we go.

This blog will be even better, more person, because my name isn't in the web address. I'm not
worried about people I know finding it. I am completely anonymous! Ya.

If you've come over from my last blog, thank you for your faithfulness!!!

I met a stranger last night, who is now, I suppose you could say, a very good friend. I have just taken over the social justice department of the young adults of my church, and I'm feeling very overwhelmed by all that we are organising and I am having to do. And I really wanted a boy/friend who could be a support. Understand me, listen to me, help me.

Well last night, sitting in a cafe with 20 friends, I ended up next to this new guy. Lets call him D. We began talking, and he starts sharing his life story. About how he used to be into drugs, dealing, using, the works. He met God, changed his life, and ran a whole bunch of community events and social justice programs at his old church. Exactly what I am doing. So we talk about this for an hour. I'm trying to eat nacho's and still engage in the most amazing conversation of my life...there was avacado everywhere!

Then he starts telling me about his life. He's the only boy with three sisters. I'm one of 3 sisters, and we have a younger brother who is out-of-control! Sometimes I'm so close to calling the police! He reassures me it will be ok. Look how he turned out. We both grew up with dad's in the airforce and navy, travelling around Australia, with close to no money and 4 kids in the back of the car, driving for 5 days at a time. In a few weeks I'm going to a rally at Parliment House for HUman Trafficking, he went last year. I don't know anyone else who has done that.

Everyone left, the table was cleared, the cafe empty, before we resurfaced from cracking each other up, and understanding, soul to soul, who we both were. No one has understood me like that. No one has had so much in common with me. I don't know if its a soul mate or best friend, but it's something incredible and unexpect! I can't wait to see what happens!!!

So blogging friends, thanks for sticking around! You're all fabulous!!!