The Gift Of Inclusion

The whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“I just left Whole Foods. What a fun—but expensive—store!” My friend’s prerecorded video message kept me company as I loaded the dishwasher. I worked as she chatted, smiling as she told me to try a particular sauce brand to see if I liked it as much as she did. Then she turned the one-sided conversation to why she’d stopped at Whole Foods in the first place.

She was on the hunt for vegan cupcakes—cupcakes that looked and tasted enough like regular ones that a preschool classmate would be included in her son’s birthday treat later that week.

“Julie, it breaks my heart,” she continued. “The teacher sends pictures of the class smiling while holding cupcakes for these little celebrations, except for this one child who always has a package of fruit snacks. I figured it had to be a food allergy, so I asked whether there were any in the class, and it was eggs. It’s a bit challenging, but I’m determined that this child will have a cupcake for my son’s birthday.”

I love my friend’s fierce determination to see and include those sitting on the sidelines in life, even if that means driving to the most expensive grocery store in town to hunt down vegan treats in the same flavor as the regular ones her son would be bringing to school. Her family knows firsthand the unintentional but very real exclusion that occurs because of an allergy to a common food ingredient. She was willing to be inconvenienced—in several ways—if it allowed another person’s child to be wholly included.

Her story was gently convicting, even though I’m sure she’d tell me that was not her intention. And as I finished wiping down my countertops, I asked God to show me where I’ve put convenience over inclusion and where I’ve been too preoccupied to see someone on the sidelines. I thanked him for the more difficult seasons and moments in my own life that have made me sensitive to others walking a similar road. I resolved to slow down and look more carefully for opportunities to be inclusive, even when it’s inconvenient.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Thank God for a time someone went out of their way to make sure you were included. Ask him to help you notice those who could be included with just a little extra effort from you.