What do you say when someone passes away? How do you express those thoughts and feelings when words simply aren’t enough?
A few years ago the manager where I work told us his wife had passed away. He had kept from us that she was seriously ill, because it was too much for him. We were dazed. He let his second-in-charge know he didn’t want us to pile on condolences. He was already overwhelmed.
We got a card, as one does, but even as we signed it, we gave each other frustrated looks. It was inadequate. Most cards are. I told a coworker it seemed like there should be something else we could do. If there were only some token we could give him that meant all the words he didn’t want to hear right now. Something small. She said, “Like a cookie?” We dubbed it “The Cookie of Kindness” knowing full well it didn’t exist and if we gave him a cookie, he would not understand.
Several years passed. One day I was thinking of how to get out the message of God’s love in a subtle way. I decided the letters GLY would be good and went about designing them into a logo. When anyone saw the design, first they would be curious, then, once they found out what it means, no matter what they believed, every time they saw the design they would say to themselves, “God loves you” – even if it was in a mocking voice, it’s in their head. God loves them. Every time.
Sticker DesignI started out with stickers. I put one on my car. The design was large with the smaller words God Loves You in a shade lighter than the background, so on close inspection they could find the meaning right there on the sticker. I put the extras by the community board at my local library. They were quickly gone.
I decided business cards would be easier to distribute, so I ordered a hundred. I gave some to friends and family to hand out. They only have the design on the front, but the back is a QR code that takes them to a website that tells them what the design means. I left them at a few churches. I told a local church about the project and my willingness to share the design, so they could use it as they liked.
A few months later, I was at the grocery store with my mother. She used to work there years ago and many old friends are still employed there. When she stops to talk, I usually wander off to give her and them their space. As she talked to one of her favourite friends, I could tell he was telling her some bad news. I wasn’t close enough to hear it, but it was obvious in their tone and body language. I saw her reach in her pocket and pull something out. I moved in a little closer. It was one of the GLY cards. She held it out to him, and as he took it she said, “Remember, God loves you.”
There it was! The Cookie of Kindness!
My mother had seen in the cards what I didn’t see myself.
The card was a reminder that whatever you’re going through, God loves you.