On Fortitude or "Amani's Not for the Faint of Heart"

A friend recently gave me Lisa McMinn's new book, The Contented Soul, assuring me that, while it wasn't a judgment of my own practice of contentment, she thought I would find its reflections a helpful reminder of that toward which what we're often spurring one another. McMinn centers an early chapter of her book on the concept of fortitude. This struck me as mildly surprising. Fortitude much doesn't find its way into my everyday conversation. But McMinn casts it in a beautiful light, calling it "the ability to stay in the moment, and respond virtuously to it" (p.39). It encompasses resilience, mettle, grit, spirit, and strength of mind and character. Contentment comes as we learn to trust our bodies, minds, and spirits as they are tested by life's challenges. "A bit of courage and mastery foster contentment--the satisfaction of knowing how a thing works, how to repair it, what's edible in the wild, and what alternative one might have if, in a pinch[...],one needs to be resourceful." (p.47)

We have a favorite motto around the AmaniDC office: "Amani's not for the faint of heart." It's usually repeated when someone is precariously juggling products or working out the mental puzzle of (once again) reorganizing our limited space or lugging an over-sized box up the stairs. Another way of saying the same thing might be "Amani takes fortitude." I'm consistently amazed by the new challenges that arise with each new phase of AmaniDC's life. The past eight months at AmaniDC and getting to know our neighbor businesses have given me profound insight into the struggles of small business staff. Navigating legal and tax codes, setting up a working wireless network, or sorting out financial systems can consume the hours of idealistic, creative people who simply want to see their operation thrive. At the same time, I'm always impressed by God's provision for Amani in the form of ingenuity, encouragement, volunteers, and simple joys--like a surprise video chat with the women at Amani's center in Kigali, Rwanda.

I've certainly been stretched by the experience of the last eight months to work with diligence and determination at things I never imagined myself doing. It might not always look like mastery, but certainly resourcefulness. And it's not something to be done alone, but rather alongside the Amani family here in DC, throughout the US, and in Africa.

This fortitude is something demonstrated particularly well by my sisters in Africa. Their photos now hang above the product displays on the tall walls in the shop. They trade prayer requests with us regularly that we might carry one another's burdens. Their testimonies give me perspective on the daily struggles we face here. We are not alone in what seems like an endless string of struggles. They face these and many others with gratitude and grace. We each have our own difficulties with trusting God and choosing to pursue peace, but our partnership strengthens us in this task. They remind me to quit my whining and see challenges as an exercise in fortitude--and one in which I'm called to rely on those around me--transforming annoyances into opportunities to witness provision, invention, and interdependence.

Thank you, friends, for supporting this work.

I Spy with my Neighborhood Eye

I'm beginning to see early signs of a trend.

In the past two weeks, I've had three sightings of Amani bags on the shoulders of folks on the streets of Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant. First, it was the Black Limited Tote in front of the Rita's on 14th Street. Then I passed a woman on Newton Street carrying the new Khaki Kikoy Sack Purse. And just this morning, it was the Kikoy Simple Bag at the bus stop on Lamont Street.

Amani has arrived in the 'hood!

Some of my favorite things...

I posted some photos yesterday to the AmaniDC blog and linked them from my previous post. Along with those visual glimpses of the weekend, I also wanted to post some of my favorite moments.

These little morsels of goodness include:

...overhearing comments from pleasantly surprised passersby about the beautiful products at our sidewalk display.

...little Adelaide walking into the shop and marching straight over to the "Watoto Nook" meant just for our younger visitors. She knew exactly what to do with the chalkboard wall and was enamored of the illustrated African folk tale books.

...catching up with supporters and friends who came by to check out the new space.

...hearing stories of Amani spreading through word of mouth and the visitors who trekked into DC just to visit the shop.

...meeting some of the girls and volunteers from Restoration Ministries who came to check out Amani. We got to share with them about internship opportunities at our shop.

...looks of recognition from Amani friends who have visited the centers in Africa when they saw photos of their friends now displayed in the shop.

...reassuring a small group of teenage boys that there was free food inside as their mom paused mid-step and declared, "Sorry guys, I've got to stop in here for a minute," upon eying a necklace on display.

...chatting with neighbors about how much we love Mt. Pleasant and our hopes to see it thrive.

...many bags full of products being carried out by happy visitors who helped us clean out our sale section!

Thanks to many of you who stopped by to see us and the newly-debuted Amani boutique. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, you're most welcome to come see us any time. We love visitors and often have some tasty treats to share!

Photos courtesy of Lou Ann Aepelbacher (www.angazaphoto.com).

From the Grand Opening...

I just posted some photos on AmaniDC's info blog from the weekend's grand opening event. You can check them out here.