We resumed our How meetings last Monday after a December break and it was wonderful to gather together once again. Jan and I were so blessed to have welcomed many new friends as well and to know that we have been able to provide a safe place for fellowship among these precious women who are traveling this hard and difficult journey. I think that being with friends who are experiencing many of the same feelings and emotions has been a great help and source of encouragement to all of them. But also an inspiration, for there are those whose loved ones have died many years ago as well as some who are just beginning this journey and to see that they have not only survived the loss but have figured out how to build the bridge to get to the other side of it.
Jan's lessons begins with a reflection of a few of the movies that you all have perhaps seen over the holidays, and how they have inspired us through the courage, tenacity and perseverance of the characters. All of us have those same qualities within us, just sometimes we have to dig a little deeper, hold on to whatever faith we have and trust God, in his loving grace, to grow it within us as we face each new dimension of life as it comes.
I love one of Jan's last quotes in her lesson. It is from Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh;....be watching for it.. And my friends, that quote is from Jan and I to you!
Enjoy the read! and Happy New Year!
HOW
JANUARY 26, 2015
"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24
Our family loves movies and with the weather prohibiting outdoor activities, we took full advantage of the opportunity to head for the theater as often as possible
during the holidays.
"The Theory of Everything" is the extraordinary story of the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who despite being diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21, eventually confined to a wheel-chair and
able to speak only with the aid of a voice synthesizer computer, defied impossible odds breaking new ground in medicine and science.
In spite of overwhelming physical limitations, Stephen Hawking's inspirational quote, "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at," lights a fire within every spirit to never give up on your passions despite the challenges of your
circumstances.
"Unbroken " tells the unforgettable story of Louis Zamperini's remarkable journey from Olympic runner to World War II hero; his journey into extremity as he endured years of unspeakable torture as a POW. Never giving up hope, Louis told himself every day of his captivity,
"If I can take it, I can make." His life is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.
"Wild" is Cheryl Strayed's personal journey of endurance and forging ahead against all odds as she walked eleven hundred miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Her mantra of those days on the trail, when she lay alone
and lonely in her tent after facing each day's challenges became, "Who is tougher than me?"
And although she knew there was absolutely no way on earth it was true, her answer was always the same: "NO ONE!"
Albert Schweitzer said, "We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the fire in our inner spirit."
Coach John Wooden said, "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." I am thankful for Stephen Hawking whose life is a shining example of making the best of one's circumstances.
George Bernard Shaw said, "The true joy in life is being used for a purpose."
Having returned to Los Angeles after the war ended, Louis Zamperini was adrift struggling with alcoholism and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In one final effort to save his marriage, he agreed to attend a Biily Graham Crusade with his wife Cynthia. That night, he recommitted his life to Christ leading him to become a renowned Christian inspirational Speaker. I am thankful for Louis Zamperini whose amazing testimony serves as a beautiful illustration of living a purpose-filled life and finding joy in "paying it forward."
I am thankful for Cheryl Strayed who reminds us that the first step in moving from your here to your there, is deciding you're not going to stay where you are. Her journey paints the perfect picture of T. S. Eliot's quote: "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
In the early days, old map makers would draw maps as far out as they had explored, and when they reached the netherpoint of their exploration, they would write on the map, "Beyond this, there may be dragons!"
As far as they were concerned, the uncharted was unknown and,
therefore, fearful
The course we charted with our loved one came to an abrupt end the day he was called home. Having reached the netherpoint of our world as we knew it, the Wonderful Wild Wonder Women of How have become fearless dragon slayers as we face the unknown of uncharted territory. As comforting as it is to retrace the original map, the one filled with cherished memories of the course we charted with him, you can't change
your world by looking in the rearview mirror.
So, where do we even begin to chart a new course? I believe that the day will come for each one of us when we will begin to see a road sign simply saying, "Gratitude," and with a knowing deep within our spirit,
we will know that we know, this is the road that will lead us on beyond our "here" to our "there." After loosing his family, all of his possessions and his health, Job sat on an ash pile in complete and utter despair
consumed with thoughts of bitterness, anger and resentment for all he had suffered through Satan's attack. At the end of his story, Job gradually begins changing his mind from resentment to gratitude as he recognizes God's faithfulness and sovereignty even in the midst of such terrible tragedy. He is reminded that all he lost had been gifts from the Great I Am. I am thankful for Job who shows us that by choosing the road of Gratitude, we can take the next step of our journey knowing that a sovereign God has gone before us to map the way.
Are there dragons out there? Absolutely! Great big fire-breathing dragons that reveal themselves in what can seem like overwhelming circumstances and challenges of life. But armed with "our shield of faith and sword of the spirit, " (Acts 17:11) there is no dragon that cannot be slain.
As he traveled the road of gratefulness, Louis Zamperini never failed to give God the glory by acknowledging his grace and mercy when he would say during every one of his inspirational speeches: "He knew my every need and acted accordingly."
"A Grief Observed" is a collection of C.S. Lewis's reflections on the
experience of bereavement following the death of his wife in 1960. His process of moving in and out of stages of grieving ultimately resulted in his ability to live gratefully for God's gift of a true love. In charting a new course as he moved from his here to his there without the love of his life, Lewis said, "You have to run as far as you can in the direction of your best dreams across the bridge that was built by your own desire to heal."
I pray for each of us our road of gratitude is filled with the opportunity to cross those bridges with confidence knowing that with each step He knows our needs and acts accordingly. I pray we will embrace the invitation waiting for us each morning to "Rise and Shine, Seize the Day and Find Adventure Along the Way." 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God
has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, of power and of a sound mind." I pray that armed with our shield of faith and
sword of the spirit, we will embrace that power as we fearlessly
slay the "circumstantial dragons" that seek to steal our joy as we courageously face life altering challenges.
As they walked down the road, Christopher Robin put his arm around Pooh and offered him these words of encouragement and comfort: " There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. " Pooh's life long friend was always there to protect him, to encourage him and to comfort him.
We, too, have a life long friend Who is always by our side to protect us,
to encourage us and to comfort us by "supplying our every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19.) I am thankful for the One Who is "our strength and our shield "(Psalm 28.) Who continues to lift us up and to carry us as He whispers, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." I am thankful for His gift of the Wonderful Wild Dragon Slaying Wonder Women of How whose indomitable spirit of "paying it forward" gives us the confidence to boldly proclaim:
"Who is tougher than we are?" "NO ONE!"
Father, may we rejoice and be glad in the gift of each new day. Thank you for inviting us to step beyond our comfort zone and embrace the challenge of traveling the road of gratitude as we praise You for your Word that directs our thoughts and footsteps and sustains us as we chart the course of our "new normal."
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