Becoming orange blankets

It’s early Sunday morning and a cool, rainy breeze has sent my chubby cat, Claire, seeking refuge in my lap under our prized orange blanket.

My son, Chris and I love that old blanket mainly because it belonged to my husband, Terry, who brought it from New Zealand.

It is spun from the softest wool, yet as ugly as it gets. Red with orange swirls, it bears unsightly little holes from the wear of a 30-year lifespan.

On cold nights I throw the orange blanket in the dryer, get it toasty and wrap myself in it before bed. If the house is chilly in the morning, I heat it up for Chris and tuck it around him to make him feel loved by its warmth.

That old blanket saw its share of tears when Terry died, laughter and joy when we cuddled in it by our Christmas tree year after year and when we took it on camping trips when Chris was little. Recently, it went with us when we fled from the Fallbrook fires.

If there is anything left of it, someday I imagine Chris will be warming the old thing for his kids.

Fr. Carl Arico said recently: “When we die, we close our eyes to this world and are in the presence of God. Because God is everywhere (omnipresent) our loved ones are with us always.”

I believe through that old blanket Terry somehow wraps us up in the same way God warms us with his presence.

Scripture says that God longs to “gather us in as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” (Luke 13:34)

He pursues us like a lover, hems us in and beckons us to be close to him. Scripture says God has counted every hair on our heads and written our names on the palm of his hand.

Yes, we are unworthy, yes, we are broken and sinful, but yes, and most importantly, we are loved and understood by the one who created us.

He took on all the pain, suffering and sin of this world in a solemn act of dying for us on a cross. Geez, that’s how much he loves us!

Why, oh why, can’t we love others like that? Why can’t we extend that kind of grace and mercy to foreigners, the addicted, those imprisoned and those closest to us so that they can let out sighs of acceptance and love?

Isn’t it a great comfort to know that our God loves us not because we are good but because he is good? Let’s extend that grace to someone today, loving them because God loved us first.

Let us all wrap each other in the warmth of God’s presence within, letting him tuck us safely in his arms so he can teach us how to love unconditionally.

Why not become like the orange blanket and warm someone’s heart today?