Recently it feels as though I am on a small boat in rough seas. If someone described my journey they would say that “you shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats!” (Psalm 107.26) Even now, I look at the future with a lump in my throat. I want to believe but I am doubt filled. I want to move forward yet uncertainties refuse to release their grip on my courage. Fear battles on, trying to dominate my thinking.
I realize, as a cloudy day dawns, that the world was filled with uncertainties before the recent storms. Events in and out of my control threated my ability to hold onto the values and priorities closest to my heart. In context of the extremes, I find myself coming back to my core beliefs.
Relationships are the color, texture, and much of the content of our lives. It is easy to lose sight of this, especially in our differences and diversity. To those who are not as close as we were, the desire of my heart is to make amends and embrace again. It is in relationships that we rediscover the meaning of compassion, caring, and community. It is here that we live. It is in this place that we make a difference.
Life is bigger than you and I. While our lives fill in the details of the greater story, it is always in context. Your story as well as my own can inform our discourse and shape our choices. It is in listening deeply that we see and understand more. It is in walking together that we achieve greater heights than either of us thought possible. In our willingness to see the bigger story, we find courage at our side and hope lighting what is around us.
Life is better because of others. In uncertainty, we can be certain that we are committed to each other. In our fears, we can share our faith. In our doubts, we can pursue a common quest for wisdom and guidance.
