The call from a colleague of years gone by started with a message which included two pictures. I think it has been three or four years since we last spoke, and closer to seventeen since we last work together. At lot has happened to both of us since we shared our days at work. In addition to the passing of time, we have gone through our separate highs and lows, great losses as well as exhilarating highs. The graying hair and quietness which sits within us speaks to the distance travelled since the days we saw each other every day.
My reaction to the conversation caught me by surprise. In addition to being reminded of our shared success, natural ways of working together, and the challenges we survived, I was caught by the greater story we shared then and now. Our paths, then and now, have been shaped by the values we hold closest to our hearts. As we talked, I found myself being taken into the greater story we share. This story is defined by unconditional love for being a part of a greater community and being driven by compassion and acceptance.
I realize that the story is more than words. The words we often spoke about in those days long ago have, with time, become our stories and experiences. Our original mixture of belief and hope is now conviction and faith. In context I understood a writer’s observation of old; “The full meaning of ‘believe’ in the Scripture sentence, ‘Abraham believed God and was set right with God,’ includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named ‘God’s friend.’” (James 2.23)
With the chaos and uncertainty of any day in your life or mine, it is easy to forget what is closest to one’s heart. Friends are ignored. Family often has tangible evidence that I have forgotten about them. Even the people we meet cannot see anything that makes us different from anyone else. Being taken into my life’s greater story was a lesson of discovery and creation.
