Saturday, November 29, 2014

Be

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
― Teresa of Ávila

This morning we have blue sky and sun, a welcome change from the grey winter skies. All week there has been a nudge to keep writing and with that has come the understanding that Glenn’s death should not be the final page in the story. That would seem to be a terribly final and tragic ending to our blog. And I will keep writing, but the time has come to move it out of Care Pages and over to here.

These words from St. Teresa are comforting. In the moments of sorrow and loss…in the midst of a flood of tears…in a grief that breaks over me like an unexpected wave…

Her words come to life as I learn just “be” in those moments….not pushing them away, demanding that they leave or digging deep to hurry through them. In just “be-ing”,  they lose their power over me. Energy is in short supply at the moment but the one thing I can do is to just “be”. In fact just “be-ing” is a great relief. 

Acknowledging sorrow, fear, grief, despair, and for a bit allowing them to be here, has brought a sense of peace and a hope that life won’t always be this way. Surrendering to the present moment and not running ahead to future or brooding over the past has brought a deep sense of calm. 

This is a lesson that I learn over and over again. I’m not always good at “be-ing”. Often I catch myself fretting and have to remember to be in the moment, acknowledge the emotions that are present and gently allow myself to return to “be-ing”.  

In my kitchen there is a plaque that reads “It Is What It Is”. This saying was the way Glenn and I often brought ourselves back to being in the moment. Reminding each other that “It is what it is” helped us to live without camping out in regret, worry, fear, anxiety, and discouragement. That’s not to say that they didn’t exist because they were and are very much our companions but they are not our masters and that is a huge difference. 

My prayer is that we will all hold onto each other as we remember and celebrate Glenn. That we will turn to one another and gently remind one another to “be” in the moment. That we will breathe deeply and know that we are held in the arms of God, deeply loved, and that the grace of Jesus Christ is “re-membered” into our hearts as we grieve, laugh, and live into these days.

Bless you for being on this journey…

Let us also remember to pray for others who are suffering…

..grace and peace…cindy