The Peace that Balance Brings

I had made a pilgrimage to Atlanta to seek the advice of friends. It was around this time last year. I was several months into a year of incredible intrigue. Devastation, betrayal, grief and loss were all introduced to me in the most personal ways possible.

At the Atlanta Food Bank I was entering the office of my friend Bill Bowling. Bill is the Executive Director and has redefined what Food Banks are in this country. He is constantly listed in Georgia Trends Magazine of one of Georgia's most influential people. We known one another for decades now.

"We are unaccustomed to having visiting dignitaries here," he quipped as I sat down.

We talked about a lot of things that morning and I am most grateful for Bill. More than anyone else I know in the non-profit world, Bill has "been there and done that."

At one point during the conversation he leaned forward in his chair and stared me dead in the eyes. "Let me tell you something Mike, if you give them you all they'll take it! They will literally love you to death."

I remember being stunned by the brutal honesty of the words. I couldn't help but think back to the 1980s when Mitch Synder was the homeless hero on the national stage. We were together from time to time though Mitch was far more radical, wearing his green Army field jacket because he was at war with a government that created policies that created homelessness.

At his zenith he forced President Reagan to give a building and funds to renovate and operate it for Washington D. C.'s homeless population. It was the first major victory in the war on homelessness and Mitch was a zealot to the cause.

Then not too long later, Mitch's body was found hanging in one of the rooms of the shelter that he had opened. He had given his all and they had taken it.

It is a fine line between how much to give and how much to keep of yourself, especially in a line of work where everybody needs everything all of the time.

Over the past year, I have learned that a lot of people love me. It is humbling when they reach out and make themselves available at a moment's notice. They believed in the things that I do, even when Union Mission almost went under, and they gave of themselves to ensure that it didn't.

And they believed in me even when I was having trouble believing in myself. Relentless encouragement is a very powerful thing and somehow I have ended up bearing things that were unbearable.

Now I hope that this year of transition and intrique is coming to an end. It certainly feels that way. At work, the old attitude is back and there is fun and energy that seems to grow a bit more every day.

At home, it is quiet. Goddess and I contemplate. My Beach Bum community spins humor that invades my life daily even when I'm trying to hide.

And watching the sun burst out of the ocean this morning reminded me of a song by Bruce Cockburn that begins, "Sun's up, uh-huh, the world survives into another day." And I have. And we have.

So I begin with a prayer for balance. Work, friends, myself, God's creation, and God too! The right amount of each please Lord! It seems that a lot of the last year it was all out of wack. Today, I ask for the peace that balance brings.