Faith and Light
Arguably I could say this was the worst year of my life – broken arm, surgery, dead husband, difficult friendships, and I could go on..there have been moments when I was doubled over in pain and sadness. And then I started to look more deeply.
This is the time of year we revisit memories, traditions and legacies. In the midst of the challenges I was surrounded by Love, support, help and surprises. One of my surprises brings on this blog. I wrote earlier this year about the visit from my cousin who lives in Atlanta- after 30 years of apparent separation. The last couple of years some phone time and texts but suddenly he had the chance to come for a visit and spent a week here. It may not seem like a miracle to you but trust me if you have ever had long bouts of silence or conflict with family – then to have your heart cracked open by grief and your childhood love and joy bounces back into your life with more Love and connection – well I call that a miracle.
Beyond the visit, the laughter and some tears, another thread was running through the tapestry. That thread is faith…in our case, the faith of our fathers (and our mothers). We walked different paths – gone different places – had different experiences and yet heaven appeared to descend over me for that week and the light was bright. The legacy of faith is large in our experience – for me it was a father that spent his last years visiting people in the hospital with his Bible in hand. For Jim, walking the straight road through church, through music, through his amazing family (4 kids yikes and grandkids …not sure of the exact number – I think 7?)
When I think of him and our journeys, I see the traditions and the legacies we carry – each in our own way – sharing with others- encouraging those struggling and loving without judgement as best we can. When you can see your ancestry through a lens of faith and light lived out it brings me to tears of deep gratitude and joy. As if this was not enough, the surprise brought with it, the talents and gifts of his son, Andrew. Part of the legacy playing out in a new generation – Andrew is a musician, minister, song writer and accomplished in how many instruments – I don’t know. Going back to his grandmother (my mother’s sister) I can see her sitting at the piano – playing vigorously by ear, I might add, and I see that thread …golden in the light …. My cousin, Jim also an accomplished musician in his own right and has a strong beautiful voice that he lends to his large church choir.
So what is my point-I have a few. Faith in the Good, faith in the whole, faith in love is what we need now in big doses. It comes to us in ways we cannot anticipate and overwhelms us with the possibilities. The requirement is you look through the right lens…..the lens of what is wrong with the world and everyone in it, won’t do it. Or the lens of what is wrong with you and your life will take you in the wrong direction. If you look through the light of this season, the legacy you carry whether it was easy or hard, the incomprehensible beauty and presence; you will get blessings beyond anything you could imagine.
Let the light in – let your light shine as Andrew does in this beautiful holiday rendering. Whatever your tradition, focus on what is the same for all of us – faith and light. Thank you Andrew for this beautiful song and for how you give your gifts to the world from the legacy of our family. I hope to meet you someday – ( Andrew’s wonderful music is available on Apple Music and Spotify as well as youtube, check it out – give yourself upliftment)
