Thursday, January 25, 2007

Dearest God,

There are as many reasons for people to connect with one another as there are stars in the heavens. Some are drawn by personalities, like interests, economic status, education, job, etc. But some link up for other reasons.

Missy and I had not seen each other for a year and a half. I've known her since she was 12 years old. Yesterday we spent four hours together. Immediately we hugged, then I hugged her a second time. We were delighted to get together to update one another on our lives. She is engaged to be married in April. She wants me to marry her to her fiance. She's selling her home, just got a new job and is planning a honeymoon in Italy. I returned from a renewal leave, will soon be grandmother to our 22nd grandchild, and I am feeling better after a lengthy siege of illness. There were no pauses, no quiet moments, only constant chatter.

I knew Missy's mother. A teacher, Sue loved children and they loved her. As a member of my church I became more involved in her life when she was diagnosed with ALS. I officiated at her memorial service.

Church, illness, Mary Stanton (a fictious character we developed) and being fun people bring us together. We can laugh at almost anything. But even these do not really link us to one another.
Missy and I have an eternal link.

After sharing all the newsy parts of our lives, we almost always end up talking about faith. We know how BIG God is. We believe that God intertwines lives together in a spiritual web. We believe God answers prayer and is revealed in daily living. We believe, we believe, we believe. Nothing brings tears to our eyes like the amazing, compassionate love of God! We know it because we have found ourselves immersed time after time after time.

When you walk in faith, with the wind of the spirit at your back moving you ever forward, you know there is no comparable thing in the world. You know that everything is as grass that dries up and blows away. You know there is nothing else to stake life upon. You are certain that life has a course, a direction and you know God is the ultimate Guide.

To share in conversation with another in faith is like receiving a transfusion, an injection of hope, joy and peace. The sleepy parts of the human psyche, the indomitable spirit awaken to the promise of a new day. Birds sing, the sun shines, love blooms. Every part of the soul dances to the tune of God. Life is good.

By contrast a life without faith is bleak, gloomy, directionless. Oh, there can be the good days one manipulates on one's own. But it can't be sustained over time. And frankly, there's little substance. Life is pretty much shallow, without real purpose.

Missy and I shared faith yesterday. Yes, we got the news we were waiting to hear. But we received so much more. We received God from one another.

You connect us to you,
dear God,
in ways beyond our imagination.
In the simplest forms,
you take our hand,
walk with us,
whisper to us
words of affection, affirmation, encouragement.
You challenge us
to grow where we are,
to plant our roots ever deeper,
to rise up into the stratosphere
of hope and joy,
to trust in the Potter
who has formed us.
And then you set us free
to share with others,
the amazing presence of God
who makes all good things happen
in their own time.
The eternal connection.

Love always, Andrea