Backseat Gospel, Entry No. 32:
This is a Valentine’s gift bag from a school friend. We’ve been told not to touch the bag. “These are special things given to me and no one is allowed to touch them. Leave the bag right here.”
The bag is full of “handmade squishies.” For those unfamiliar, squishes are soft little stuffed toys. Squishies are for comfort, love, and squishing when you need to feel something else that feels as tender as you do about life. Specifically, having to clean your room or brush your teeth or practice your sight words.
I am not going to touch the bag. But without touching it, I can see it’s overflowing with handmade love. It’s a carefully curated “blind bag” (bag of surprises) with handmade paper squishy objects—pizza, a crayon box, a notebook, pillows. I know how much time, and creativity, and genuine love this took. And I know how much it means to the person who told us not to touch it.
I am learning that a special kind of love is handmade. With what we have available to us. With colored pencils and paper and tape. With holding hands and time and listening and creativity. With fair, honest, and encouraging words. With eye contact and opening the door for someone and moving clothes from the washer to the dryer because the person who started the load forgot. With what I can find and what I can muster when I don’t have the resources I wanted or expected. The material is all right here, now. I have so much to learn about the abundance of love at my fingertips. I am so thankful for the people in my life who are teaching me, including my children whose handmade love bubbles over and comes out beautifully every day. Holding close to my heart and soul each piece of beautiful, gritty, handmade love that reveals itself today. Including this gift bag I am not allowed to touch.
Pastor Hannah Marshall Coe is mom to three smart, strong daughters and serves as senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, TX.
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