God, Creator of the Universe, Higher Power, Divine, Source Energy, call it what you will, we are connected! We are never disconnected from this Love of God unless we choose to be in a living Hell. I believe this. I love this! But sometimes when life beats me up, I need a huge reminder. My reminders come from people who really do love me. Today’s blog brought to you by my friend Mary. I thank her so very much for her wise words and her insight. Today she says, “It’s not about getting what you want, it’s about patience.”

God, Creator of the Universe, Higher Power, Divine, Source Energy, call it what you will, we are connected! We are never disconnected from this Love of God unless we choose to be in a living Hell. I believe this. I proclaim this and I love this! But sometimes when life beats me up, I need a huge reminder. My reminders come from people who really do love me. Today’s blog brought to you by my friend Mary. I thank her so very much for her wise words and her insight. Today she says, “It’s not about getting what you want, it’s about patience.”

With that, I am forced to look into my own heart and recognize that in my weakness and my depression, I am not living my faith to the fullest, nor am I a reflection of the love that was placed in me when God created me. I know this, especially during difficult times. There is a verse that has stuck with me from the moment I read it…

Mark: 9:23-24

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

I struggle with my “unbelief” more days than not. It’s not necessarily that I don’t believe, but I often question God’s timing, or my journey, or why things happen when you try to be a reflection of Light, or why bad people cross my path and take advantage of me, and when I write this and think about it; I actually think it becomes more of my own pity party rather than the walk of Faith. In my struggle with life and depression so much becomes like a messed up ball of yarn and untangling takes a swift kick in the shorts and some scissors to get the knots out. Today was a day like that. I woke up thinking about how many hamburgers I cooked while I was growing up and working in the Drug Store. Before I knew it I was in my mind seeing the entire lunch crowd seated in their normal places at the counter and I was counting burgers and timing it just right so that the first order in was the first to come out. I carefully prepared the Cleland’s Burger to perfection and served them all with a smile and joy to each hungry customer. I can see Jim, Clara, Kathryn, Bob, Richard, my Dad, Bop, Mom and a few others sitting there waiting, and I smiled, remembering the conversations and reliving the best possible way grow up. I loved every minute of that experience. Most of those people have crossed over from this life to Heaven and are now seated at an entirely different table. One that is promised to us by God, where we will be whole and the ailments of this life will pass, but our spirits will live on. I cling to that message. I live for that message. My hope resides in that very promise. So days like today, where I feel physically and mentally so weak I am comforted being grounded in my faith, or am I really grounded?

Mary says that when I stop laughing and I am waiting for the next ax to fall I am not acknowledging the goodness of God. I forget to say “thank you for all of my many, many blessings” and I forget that every good thing comes from Heaven. I know she is right. Pennies from Heaven are real. They are a sign that someone is thinking about us and that love transcends all universes. YES! Love transcends all human power and reasoning and we are connected to the greatest love of all time!! Now…..remind me again why I cry? Remind me again why I am nervous or anxious, or sleep deprived. A few weeks ago I was fortunate to get to witness the new confirmands as they stood in front of the congregation and explained what their faith means to each of them. All of them had chosen a verse from the Bible that they felt represented who Christ is in their lives. I was an adult when I joined the Lutheran Church and was not able to have a class that I could pull from, instead I had a Pastor who was a bit on the grumpy side so my training was fast! I was envious in a way that these young people had a beautiful verse to keep with them forever. Those verses are very important in their spiritual lives and when a Lutheran passes away most times their Confirmation Verse is listed in their obituary or their service folder. They take the words with them, so to speak. A couple of weeks ago, our Pastor sent me a letter. It says:

“Dear Elizabeth,

Happy belated confirmation verse:

Psalm 27: 1, 13, 14. The Lord is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?…..I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart, wait for the LORD. (NIV)

Baptized into Christ April 7, 1968

Confirmation April 15, 1995

Serving the Lord with Gladness,

Pastor Mark Boxman”

While this might appear to be unimportant to some, this just might be one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me. It’s value more precious than gold and it’s value worth every breath of my life. I have never had someone share something so perfect, and just for me, ever. I was moved to tears and humbled beyond measure.

Today, I was reminded of the importance of recognizing my blessings, of cleaning up my shoe clutter, of tidying up my bed side table, and of laughing. God’s light is in all of us. Maybe a reminder is all that I needed to dry the tears and carry on. Thank you Mary….your GIFT is truth, love and the light of God.

May God bless each of you today, tomorrow and always. I am going to go make a list of everything that I am thankful for and I am going to read and reread until I can make the light shine so bright I will need shades.

Until then....Peace, Love and Faith

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