“I never worry about action, but only about inaction” ― Winston Churchill
This past week was both emotionally and physically exhausting.
An old friend of mine went missing.
She left her apartment under disconcerting circumstances and wasn't heard from for almost a week.
At one point her and I were very close. We worked together, took trips together, laughed (and cried) alot together. She was one of the first friends with whom I felt I could let my guard down and truly be vulnerable. She also shared my love for karaoke and kettlebells, so it seemed like a match made in heaven!
But over time the friendship faded. We stopped working together, which meant we saw less and less of each other, until eventually we stopped speaking.
When I learned of her disappearance it had been over a year since we had last spoken.
The news filled me with a wash of emotions - guilt over not keeping in touch with her, fear for her well being, and a desperation to do something to help find her.
By the 5th day she was missing, I decided I couldn't continue sitting around just hoping for her safe return.
I needed to act.
I made plans with a group of friends to canvas parts of her neighborhood that had not yet been covered.
We met Saturday afternoon (6 days after she was last seen). It was cold and pouring rain. We all wore our worry clearly on our faces and our outlooks weren't good. We acknowledged that our chances of finding her alive (considering the timeline and the circumstances to how she left) were low and we had mentally (and emotionally) prepared ourselves for the worst.
We first checked the waterfront along the Hudson, unsuccessfully dodging splashes from the cars barreling down the West Side Highway. Then we covered Riverside Park while another group attacked Frederick Douglass Blvd. We stopped people on the street, posted flyers in coffee shops and spread her missing person photo all over social media.
But it seemed like the chances of her making it home safely were exponentially decreasing.
After almost 4 hours of trudging in the rain, we decided it was time to call it a day.
We made our way back towards the subway, handing out the few flyers we had left along the way.
One block away from the subway stop we arrived at a church. Without much enthusiasm or faith, we decided to hand out one more flyer.
Two friends went inside, while I waited on the sidewalk with another friend and my dog (if were were going to walk...she was going to walk too!).
Minutes later they came out with absolute shock on their faces.
"Guys, she's inside the church."
I am not eloquent enough to fully express the flood of emotions that came over me in that moment, so I'll just say that it was A LOT to process.
I threw my dog's leash at my friends and ran into the church.
After 6 days missing. After many tears and prayers. After hours of searching.
There she was - alive and physically unharmed.
She was safely reunited with her family and is now receiving the care she needs to recover from this ordeal.
The response from friends and family to her being found was joyous and full of gratitude. It was also full of praise to God and recognition for the power of prayer.
Though I do not align myself with any one faith, I am no stranger to the Bible. I attended Catholic school from Kindergarten through 12th grade and was an alter server for 4 of those years.
So in the aftermath of this nightmare, amidst the plethora of "Praise the Lord!" comments, I couldn't help but recall the Bible verse "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).
While there are many interpretations of this passage, for me it boils down to this: prayer on its own is not enough.
Wishing, hoping and even believing that good things will happen is not enough to actually make those things happen.
Yes, faith is necessary.
We need to believe in the possibility of good, in the possibility of change (both within ourselves and others) and in the power we possess to make our hopes and dreams come true.
"Just as man cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope." (Elie Wiesel)
But with belief alone and no subsequent action, we don't stand a chance.
Was it divine intervention that brought us to that church - tired, cold and soaking wet?
Maybe.
But would prayer alone have brought her home safely?
Had we not taken action and pounded the pavement (quite literally), would things have ended the same way?
Maybe not.
This post is not meant to serve as a sermon, however it is meant to shake you just a little.
What are you wishing, hoping and praying for?
Are you putting in the work to make it a reality?
When will the fear of the results of your inaction become so great that taking action no longer feels like a monumental challenge?
You see, for most of us, when the life of someone you love and care for is at stake, inaction is not an option.
But do you love and care for yourself with the same intensity?
Can you take action towards your hopes and dreams with the same urgency?
And if not, can you bear the pain of the result of your inaction?
If the task seems too monumental at first, remember that any action - no matter how imperfect or how small - is better than none.
But also remember that prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed, just as something (or someone) lost can't be found until you put in the work to find it.
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