I saw a meme recently on Facebook that said something to the effect of, “I never thought I’d be worried about tariffs and measles, like I was living in an American Girl book.” As someone who loved the American Girl books as a child and who is currently reading them with her daughter, I initially laughed . . . but then I felt like crying because this is only the beginning of the long list of worries that I never thought would be a part of my adult life. I could list many more people and places affected by recent executive orders, yet I recognize that as a White woman, there are many, MANY more issues and realities that I thought were simply a part of history that fill the hearts and minds of my brothers and sisters across the street and around the world.

1. Signs of Hope: MCC Relief Sale

This last weekend was the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale, a benefit for Mennonite Central Committee. We enjoyed traditional Mennonite foods from my own family stream — verenike and “Russian” pancakes, as well as smelled the delicious Mennonite burritos prepared and served by Mennonites from our congregation and the Spanish-speaking congregation that shares our church building. Seeing the mix of cultures in food and items for sale was, to me, a cause of hope. Seeing conservatively dressed Anabaptists alongside friends and neighbors was, to me, a sign of hope. We came together and blended our traditions, cultures, foods and more in the name of Christ to offer hope to those suffering around the world. Check out upcoming MCC sales across Canada and the United States on the MCC website.

2. Spring

Here in central Kansas, spring is clearly, finally here. I have to check the weather each day to see what the high is and think about how my daughter should dress for recess. Spring here means we could have a day with a high of 95 (next Thursday) and the following day 75 (next Friday). It keeps us on our toes, but we can be fairly safe planning outdoor activities these days, as long as we have a jacket handy and an umbrella just in case our prayers for rain are answered. Of course, spring also brings budding trees and beautiful flowers. These signs of new life and rebirth are beautiful reminders of hope that the dark season will not last forever. Take a walk this week and look for signs of hope wherever you live.

3. Give a Little Extra

I ran into a friend today who is the director of a local community nonprofit. I asked about the summer lunch program she runs in our community, and she said the program doesn’t have any funding this summer. Amid various governmental cuts, she received an email from the Department of Education that said all summer lunch programs have lost federal funding. I hate to think about the hundreds of hungry children who won’t have lunches this summer. As we consider our daughter who WILL have enough to eat this summer, I wonder when and how we can give a little to local nonprofits like Peace Connections so that children are fed, and the community doesn’t suffer — someone has to pick up the slack. Explore local community-building nonprofit organizations in your area to see how you can make a difference.

4. A Story to Share

My Five Things post wouldn’t be complete without me mentioning at least one book! Recently released by MennoMedia as part of the Anabaptism at 500 suite of products, A Light to Share: Stories of Spreading Love and Changing the World by Natalie Frisk is a fantastic children’s book that encouraging readers of all ages to connect with Anabaptist heroes from a variety of time periods, geographic locations and ethnic backgrounds. This book highlights a variety of God-given gifts and encourages the reader to explore how they might use their own gifts to spread Christ’s light and love, making a difference in the world. That spreads hope!

5. Mennonite Disaster Service: 75 years of Hope

There have been many articles written about MDS’ 75th anniversary celebration, but perhaps, like me, you haven’t had a chance to learn and celebrate. You can check out the MDS website to learn more. I can’t imagine how much hope the sight of MDS volunteers must bring as they descend on an area after a disaster. Consider how you might support the work of bringing tangible help — being hands on the ground, or sending funds to help rebuild — this is all hopeful work.