I had a lace scarf–more a stole–that I’d knit out of some of Lisa Souza’s Mardi Gras colorway, as bright and lively and cheerful as the name. All finished, but tucked away, waiting for its moment. I thought I had plans for it–but it just wouldn’t go. As usual, my yarn was the boss of me. I finished it probably a year ago.
Today for the first time, I put it on and wore it to church.
F. was one of the speakers. F. was quite new to this whole speaking in front of a large crowd thing, and when he stood up and looked at his audience, he was nervous and a bit overwhelmed at first and soon turned to the bishop, who is bilingual, asking for help. Though F. speaks English, it doesn’t come as fluently nor as easily as he’d like.
Sure, glad to help, and the bishop stood up next to him–and then grinned, no no, come back up to the mic, you first.
F. spoke from the heart, and we watched the nervousness simply melt away as he did so. There were a few times where the bishop started to translate and F. went, wait, say (strings of Spanish followed). They laughed and continued. There was one time F. spoke, the bishop started, F. went wait, this too, and they kind of tripped all over each other verbally, laughing some more.
And in the process, the whole language difficulty thing became simply a means for the Spirit of love to enter in and bless the whole congregation listening and watching them. An arm went around a shoulder. And again, in delight. Love speaks in all languages and it speaks without mistranslation. It simply Is. And it was there.
At the end of the services, I saw F.’s wife and there was no longer any question: I knew. I went up to her and told her, my friend Lisa dyed this yarn for me, I knitted this, but I just spent the whole time thinking it needs to go where it most belongs…
…As I took it off me and wrapped it around her. Just her colors, I saw, pleased, just perfect on her–as she gasped in surprise and delight.
I’m half deaf, I don’t speak Spanish, I’ve never really had a conversation with her, or at least not one that I was very successful at participating in, just many a smile and quiet nod shared between us since I met them–but when words are not enough, Love enters in just the same.
Translating perfectly.