I sat in a chair, sipping coffee and reflecting on what life had been trying to reveal through her whispers over the past day. Just across from me were three stuffed animals propped in a chair. I did not play a part in placing them there, even though they represented connections to individuals in my life who are no longer with me. As I pondered their lives and the enduring lessons they left with me about trust, purpose, and commitment, I realised that I, along with others, embody the legacy of their lives. Candidly, “Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, received what was promised.” (Hebrews 11.39) Their faith in what was to come has yet to be realised.
Life’s larger story is found in our response to our calling. I pause and wonder about the reward of a life lived to the full. I forget that the journey is the reward. Those before me believed that the story did not end with their passing. With the same trust, I have come to embrace a belief that your story, as well as my own, is greater and more awesome than anything I have imagined. Life reminds me of the ripples that continue to follow my best steps. They extend far beyond my line of sight, impacting individuals I know and those I will never meet. The secret to a life lived well is found in the story of each step.
Life’s threads bind us together. To know one belongs is a universal thirst from deep within every heart. To love and be loved is our first step in understanding what it is to be divine. The threads are endless, ever-changing to fit the moment we are in. When I focus on the threads between myself and those around me, I find myself wrapped in compassion, empathy, and support. It is in the realisation that the most significant opportunities one has are always linked to others. It is in and through others that life’s greatest treasures are revealed, embraced, and experienced.
