Let It Be

This morning, I woke up with the words to a Beatles song in my head: "When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be, let it be."

There seems to be a special message in those words for me now, and also for all of us in these times. As a mother and grandmother, I tend to try to fix things and I often can't help worrying, trying to carry everyone's burdens and soothe everyone's pain.
I'm sure many can identify with this frame of mind and way of being. The problem is, we can only carry someone else's burdens for so long and then we have to let them go, give them to a higher power, be a compassionate witness and "let it be".....

"And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Ah, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Oh, there will be an answer, let it be"

-Paul McCartney

 https://youtu.be/QDYfEBY9NM4

This is my message for today: let go of worrying, struggling, fretting and fixing.  Sit back, be a witness, hold those we love in prayer and embrace our own inner light.  Be strengthened and empowered for this moment in time and be open to Divine guidance on when and how to act.  Let our loved ones follow their own path and experience their own struggles.

Step outside, connect to the earth, breathe deeply of the cold winter air and "let it be"....

The Purity of Grace

 I step out into the blue-gray dawn and see that a blanket of snow has covered the brown earth.  The beauty and purity of the snow fills my heart with hope as I face this new day. 

In this moment, the snow seems to be a metaphor for grace...covering the dirt and grime of the earth with the purity of crystalline flakes, just as our Creator covers human suffering, prejudice and evil with the light of mercy and unconditional love. This is a gift freely given, to the extent that our hearts are open to receive it.

Today we honor Martin Luther King Jr., five days after our nation's capital was stormed by an angry mob, many of whom were members of White Supremacist hate groups.  There is fear and despair on both sides of the political aisle, as we prepare for the inauguration of a new president. We see a country divided and families torn apart by differences of opinion on how to move forward.  

But move forward we must, and Dr. King's messages of forgiveness, peace and grace are vitally important for us to reflect on as we celebrate his life today:

“Let us not despair. Let us not lose faith in man and certainly not in God. We must believe that a prejudiced mind can be changed, and that man, by the grace of God, can be lifted from the valley of hate to the high mountain of love. Let us remember ... we must have love, compassion and understanding goodwill for those against whom we struggle, helping them to realize that ... we are not seeking to defeat them but to help them, as well as ourselves. God has a great plan for this world. His purpose is to achieve a world where all men will live together as brothers, and where every man recognizes the dignity and worth of all human personality.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.,  A Christmas Sermon on Peace,” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dec. 24, 1967. 

We do not despair, because we have hope that through faith and by the miracle of grace, there might be peace and healing  in our hearts and on our planet.  Hatred and anger, born of fear, can be overcome with love and compassion.  May this be our prayer for today.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast...Ephesians 2:8-9

Are You Listening?

 Sometimes, it seems as though God is far away, and we cry out, "are you listening?...  is anybody there?" Events happen that make us feel as though evil is taking over the world,  We pray to a Creator whose existence we doubt, knowing that people who seem to be on the side of darkness are also praying.  Each side, thinking that the other is the face of evil, fashion God in their own image.

The events of the past week will remain etched in our memories forever.  On Tuesday, Georgia's Senate race resulted in the historic election of a black Baptist preacher and a young Jewish man, celebratory events for the cause of civil rights. The following day, we watched in horror as an angry mob descended on our nation's capitol, breaking down fences, scaling walls, shattering windows and doors to gain entry.  They violated the "hallowed halls of Congress" with confederate flags, KKK emblems, neo-nazi slogans and symbols of hate as they trashed offices and smeared feces throughout the building.  They carried nooses, chanting about hanging the vice president for treason and carried zip-ties, with the apparent intention of taking members of Congress hostage.  Thankfully, they did not succeed, but such raw anger and shocking violence is beyond the comprehension of most of us.

"Is anybody there?", "are you listening?, I ask again.  So much difficulty, so much pain, so much loss...life can seem unbearable sometimes, as if the light goes out of everything and God is silent.

I don't understand the mystery of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, any of it, or why people's experiences of the Divine can be so different.  I only know that when I ask, at these darkest moments, I am given. When I am empty, I feel the rushing warmth of His Presence and am filled with the Spirit.  He is here with me, in the midst of it, providing light and comfort and that is enough for today.

This is really all we have been promised....strength, peace and comfort in the face of the world's evil.
We are not given more suffering than we can bear and we are given strength for the present moment.

Breathe deeply and give thanks for Light in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of despair,
 courage in the midst of fear, and love in the midst of hatred...

A Heart Filled With Gratitude

 As we step into a New Year, trying to release the past and embrace whatever lies ahead, may our hearts be filled with gratitude.  Post-holiday, in the midst of winter and a raging pandemic, it may seem challenging to find things to feel grateful for, but simple gifts are all around us. 

It may take conscious effort at first, to focus on the good rather than the problems in our life, but if we make a habit of it, starting with our first breath every morning, we will be happier and more productive.  It may be helpful to keep a journal specifically for gratitude, which reinforces the habit of focusing on the positive.  You can then read through it whenever you're feeling down to remind yourself of your many blessings.

Be thankful that you can take deep breaths of fresh air, that you can walk or move around by some other means, that you have five senses with which to appreciate life.  Ponder the miracle of your own human body, affirming health and wholeness.  Pray the same for those you love, surrounding them with a protective shield of light and love.  Open your eyes, look around, appreciate the beauty of the morning light and the gifts of the season.  "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things".*

I know from experience, that at times of great loss or pain, it may seem nearly impossible to see the good in one's situation. Years ago, when I was going through a particularly difficult time and had just experienced a near tragedy, I had a vision while praying.  I saw an outstretched hand, encircled in light, which was holding a gold coin.  On one side, the coin was dirty, dull and scratched, but as I watched, the hand turned the coin to show the other side, which was brilliant and glowing.  In a flash of inspiration, I saw the near tragic situation as a beautiful, shining salvation.  What could have happened, didn't and what was left was light and hope.

We can always choose to see the shiny side of the coin, no matter what the circumstances...

*Philippians 4:8