On a walk a few months ago, I noticed a pack of sidewalk chalk resting in the knot of a large tree near the sidewalk.
In the past, this knot had been home to a variety of objects. I'm not quite sure which of our neighbors gifted this communal chalk. The house to which this particular tree belongs has been empty for as long as we have lived on this street.
It took a few days of walking by the tree to gather the courage to bend the cardboard enough to open the lid. Inside, the chalk was as pristine as the sidewalk. At some point, I could no longer resist the temptation. I wondered if anyone would notice me awkwardly bending to leave my mark.
That afternoon, someone responded with a note of their own.
image courtesy Unsplash Philip Arambula @philiparambula
And so it went. Message after message, drawing upon drawing. Each neighbor anonymously adding a flourish.
Each time the rain washes the art away, a neighbor comes along with a new message. I imagine the older man walking his dog stopping to add a missive. Maybe it's the lawyer from across the street with three little boys. Could it be one of the nuns from around the corner who bends down to draw a sun with a smiley face?
Over the past few months, the chalk box has emptied. It's contents a rainbow of possibilities waiting for hands to make imaginings a reality.
Some sticks of chalk are now about halfway used. I wonder what will happen when they are no longer long enough for adult hands to grasp.
This hidden gift brings me daily delight. Every walk is an opportunity to check out our sidewalk gallery.
Celebrate What is Hidden.
The knot in the tree is invisible to the cars that pass by. You can only see it if you are walking on the sidewalk and happen to glance to the left at just the right time. Moving too fast or engrossed in conversation, you probably wouldn't notice the familiar yellow and green box.
Much of what we do all day long feels hidden and meaningless as if our potential was not being fully tapped.
"In our world of platforms and influencers, if an action is unaccompanied by a certain amount of attention, it's as if it never happened. Love these days feels like it must be performed for a virtual audience in order to prove itself to be real.
I understand why someone might believe that the hidden and unknown work of love is no longer worth doing. It is very difficult to quantify or measure the value of patiently listening to the same story you've heard a hundred times.
God's love is more easily shared outside of the spotlight. There are no "likes" for doing the mundane tasks of caring for others. No pats on the back for sitting in yet another doctor's waiting room. No shares for washing another load of laundry. Yet, this is where God's presence is most frequently found.
The significance of love's invisible work eludes those who claim we are wasting our time. Here is a simple truth: Sharing God's love is never a waste of time."
(Excerpt from The Spirit of Mary Act: A Life Hidden in God)
The sidewalk art on our little block is nowhere near masterpiece level. The content of the notes are not individually awe-inspiring. It's hard to imagine a news truck pulling up to document this situation. But, there is something in the art that makes me smile from the inside out.
The funny thing is, I've never seen anyone else use the chalk.
With our sidewalk chalk, we show each other that we are paying attention. The hiddenness amplifies the delight we are gifting to each other.