Day 32 - Gentle As Doves

As I stood in front of the mirror, struggling to tie my tie for career day in highschool, I couldn't help but notice the pain in my mother's eyes. It had been fifteen years since my father was lost to a senseless shooting, and my mother had been my pillar of strength ever since. She had faced the challenges of single parenthood with unwavering determination, but today, as she tried to help me with this simple task, I could sense her frustration and self-doubt. We were miserably failing at this task.

This was a job only a man could do.

To redirect our shared pain she spoke about the importance of using the right image to convey who you are, and I knew she wanted nothing more than to equip me with the tools and confidence to succeed. But as her hands trembled and her voice faltered, I realized that this moment was about more than just tying a tie. It symbolized our journey together, the hardships we had endured, and the unspoken pain that still lingered within us. This tie was a symbol of what we lost but also the future she wanted for me.

I chose the dove emoji as the symbol for Okung Fast for several reasons.

Many recognize the dove as a symbol for peace with God and the imagery is used throughout Biblical literature and ancient texts. Yeshua instructs his followers to be “gentle as doves and shrewd as serpents” - an incredibly powerful juxtaposition. Water-only fasting has taught me the importance of honing both of these skills. How can one be gentle as a dove yet shrewd as a serpent?

This is perhaps where one can discover the most potent insight on the topic: how we react to situations that are uncomfortable, inconvenient or unjust.

To be gentle is essentially the opposite of being triggered. This isn’t to say that we are robots or that we do not contain human feelings or emotions. But, gentleness can be understood as the ability to harness that raw emotion into a productive response. The ability to respond vs the knee jerk tendency to react. If you are on social media for more than 10 minutes, you are tempted into unhealthy reactions constantly. If you don’t know what i’m talking about, check out the comments section under a few of my posts.

Gentleness is part of the antidote to healing the world. There is an abundance of frustration and a shortage of simple patience.

Reflection:

Think back to a moment when you felt your control slipping away, consumed by a fit of rage. Reflect on the implications of that anger, the damage it may have caused to yourself and others. But amidst the chaos, remember this: your true power lies in the ability to redirect that energy.

Practice:

In moments of intense heat and pressure, I have discovered the power of images and objects to ground myself. These visual cues serve as reminders, guiding me back to a place of calm and stability. Find a photo or object which can help you.