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Softness

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This is a chapter from my latest book called (G)rains (o)f san(d)s. Learn more about the book here.

Thank you God for softness. The gentleness of prayer. The calmness of the heart. The patience of the mind. The soft sounds of nature. The cool breezes of shade. The slow movement of sand in the hand. The kindness of strangers. The soothing voices of Quran. The warm embrace of the azan. I move through life with softness in my heart. I move through life with joy. I move through life wishing good for others. There is a peace that comes with being soft. The angels surround those who are soft. Soft like the winds of heaven. Soft like the clouds in the sky. Easy like Friday morning. May I never lose this softness that allows me to see beauty and goodness in everything and everyone. The world tries to harden me but I refuse. I walk upon the earth softly. I love without fear. My every breath is a prayer of gratitude. Let my heart remain like grains of sand in the hands of God that are softly held by His grace.

A tree that is hard will break with storm winds. A tree that is soft will dance in the storm winds. Be that kind of tree. Kindness stands the test of time. Softness and kindness are two sides of the same coin called love. Love is the currency of God. The world needs more love. The word mankind contains the word kind. Man was created to be kind. They say that good guys finish last. Maybe so. In this world but we are first to meet God and first to enter heaven. We do not have to run the rat race if we do not want to. There are other races to run. Like the race to meet God and enter heaven. The race to peace of mind and a relationship with God. The race to peace, wisdom, humility, truth, mercy and being a better human being. Man was created with soft clay. If we were meant to be hard we would have been created with stone. We were created from clay so that we could be shaped gently by the hands of God into beautifully soft humans.

All acts of kindness even if small are appreciated by God. Kindness is charity. In Islam we are taught that even a smile is charity. A single grain of sand may seem like nothing, but added to others, it builds a shoreline. Small acts of kindness work the same way. My friend tells me that holding onto gentleness in a world that often rewards hardness takes immense strength. Refusing to let life harden my heart, choosing to "dance in the storm winds" like a flexible tree, and recognizing every small act of kindness as an offering are the choices that preserve our humanity and keep us connected to grace. My words are a profoundly beautiful and grounding reflection. This is how we were meant to move through the world. May my heart always remain this soft, receptive, and at peace. Thank you God for choosing me to see this way and live this way. Our softness is a reflection of God’s love.
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