Good Morning All,
The wedding had been planned last Fall. It would be at the Outer Banks; on the beach, weather permitting; before the start of hurricane season. “Yes, I would be honored to officiate at your wedding.” (not to mention any excitement about going to the beach. :) ) As the weekend approached there was the usual preparation to be away from Covenant…making sure everything was in place at the church so that worship and other responsibilities would run smoothly.
On the other hand, death doesn’t afford us the luxury of choosing a specific date and time. Death comes when death comes. Pre-arrangements though allow us the opportunity to plan a time of worship and celebration before the time is made known.
“Yes, it would be a privilege to speak at your mother’s memorial service and to share in this time with you and your family…after all, we’ve known each other for 28 years…”
“When do you want it to take place?”
“Friday at 11a; in Washington , NC …”
“I can make that work…I am planning to leave for the Outer Banks to do Lee and Jessica’s wedding sometime late Friday; but now I’ll just plan to leave early that morning. Not a problem…”
At first glance, it seemed as if emotions that come when a loved one has died and those involved with preparing a young couple for their marriage were about to collide in my heart. How would I sort them out? How can I make sure I could give each occasion my full attention?
Grief and sorrow were about to meet joy and bliss…
But God is so good. And these words from scripture popped in my head, “Who we are to become, dear friends, has yet to be revealed to us…” (I John 3.2) And after a few moments, it became very clear to me that both of these life experiences have so very much in common.
Both are
· life-altering experiences, not only for Deane Parker whose earthly pilgrimage was over; but also for Lee Wakefield and Jessica Nixon who were about to be married; but for all who love them.
· times filled with deeply rooted, heart rendering emotions.
· reasons for pure joy! The joy of a well-lived life and the joy of being united with a soul-mate.
· great occasions for celebration…celebrating the many lives that have been touched and influenced by a special relationship; celebrating lives that will touch and influence lives in the future.
· a reminder of God’s many blessings thus far along the way and that these blessings don’t end with a particular ceremony or ritual.
· new beginnings; moving into the unknown; trusting in God’s constant presence and unconditional love; and God’s warm invitation to move into God’s future.
God’s blessings abound in life and death and all points in between. Thanks be to God for this inexpressible and sustaining gift…
Leave your umbrella at home…the spiritual forecast calls for God’s showers of blessings…
Joanne
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Connections
Good Morning All,
Well, I did it again…I clicked my heels 3 times and after almost a total of10 hours of return air travel, I landed back at RDU, a bit jet-lagged, but with a heart and mind filled with wonderful memories of exploring the Netherlands and a bit of time in Belgium. Yes, any of your pre-conceived ideas about the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular may be true; there are so many other experiences to enjoy. So from my first, “Dag” (hello) to my last “Tot Zeins” (goodbye), it was a grand and marvelous trip, filled with tulips, canals, windmills, bicycles, museums, Delft porcelain, more canals, bicycles, traditional Dutch and Indonesian foods; did I mention, bicycles?; and of course, “melt in your mouth” chocolates :)
Spending time in a country that holds personal ancestral ties was an added dimension to my travels; to see names that relate to mine; to know that a current town official shares my same last name, only serve to remind me of ties that bind—of how we are all connected to each other in some way. And that connection reminds me of the different ways we are all connected to each other…not just by flesh and blood, but by common needs, common feelings, common desires, hopes and dreams.
Whenever I would sit on a bench or stone bridge and watch people pass by, I could hear many different languages being spoken (Amsterdam alone has over 200 languages represented there) yet as I looked at people’s expressions or hand gestures, I could sense if the conversations were intense, loving, filled with anger or questions or if the person were lost-- tourists intensely reading maps was one to which we could especially relate. :)
Signs and graffiti-laden bridges and walls were filled with hopes for world peace and an end to wars and hostilities. Children were filled with laughter and playfulness, engaged in childhood games and teasing. Walking around I could see families gathered in their homes for dinner; or see people looking out onto the streets; overlooking the canal; friends meeting at a café; parents enjoying their children…The scenery, the language, the food (way too many MacDonald’s & Burger King’s scattered about); the sites may be different, but there is no denying our connectedness.
Every time I am blessed to travel or to engage in conversations with people who are from different cultures, I am also reminded of the one, true God, who created us—each last one of us, no matter where we call home in this world; who made us in God’s own image; a God whose heart’s desire is to satisfy our hearts’ desires; a God who loves us unconditionally—who accepts us where we are and just the way we are—in one glorious rainbow of color, shapes and sizes; languages and lifestyles; different abilities…a God whose creation offers us blue skies and rain; sunshine and moon rays; oceans, rivers and canals; a God who has given people the ability to create tons of steel that can fly and stay flying over vast areas of land and sea…a God who gives us the ability to appreciate our differences, yet to have them fall away as God calls us to be one…to celebrate that universal oneness that calls us all to live in peace, understanding and with hope for the future...Thanks be to God…
Blessings, Joanne
Well, I did it again…I clicked my heels 3 times and after almost a total of10 hours of return air travel, I landed back at RDU, a bit jet-lagged, but with a heart and mind filled with wonderful memories of exploring the Netherlands and a bit of time in Belgium. Yes, any of your pre-conceived ideas about the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular may be true; there are so many other experiences to enjoy. So from my first, “Dag” (hello) to my last “Tot Zeins” (goodbye), it was a grand and marvelous trip, filled with tulips, canals, windmills, bicycles, museums, Delft porcelain, more canals, bicycles, traditional Dutch and Indonesian foods; did I mention, bicycles?; and of course, “melt in your mouth” chocolates :)
Spending time in a country that holds personal ancestral ties was an added dimension to my travels; to see names that relate to mine; to know that a current town official shares my same last name, only serve to remind me of ties that bind—of how we are all connected to each other in some way. And that connection reminds me of the different ways we are all connected to each other…not just by flesh and blood, but by common needs, common feelings, common desires, hopes and dreams.
Whenever I would sit on a bench or stone bridge and watch people pass by, I could hear many different languages being spoken (Amsterdam alone has over 200 languages represented there) yet as I looked at people’s expressions or hand gestures, I could sense if the conversations were intense, loving, filled with anger or questions or if the person were lost-- tourists intensely reading maps was one to which we could especially relate. :)
Signs and graffiti-laden bridges and walls were filled with hopes for world peace and an end to wars and hostilities. Children were filled with laughter and playfulness, engaged in childhood games and teasing. Walking around I could see families gathered in their homes for dinner; or see people looking out onto the streets; overlooking the canal; friends meeting at a café; parents enjoying their children…The scenery, the language, the food (way too many MacDonald’s & Burger King’s scattered about); the sites may be different, but there is no denying our connectedness.
Every time I am blessed to travel or to engage in conversations with people who are from different cultures, I am also reminded of the one, true God, who created us—each last one of us, no matter where we call home in this world; who made us in God’s own image; a God whose heart’s desire is to satisfy our hearts’ desires; a God who loves us unconditionally—who accepts us where we are and just the way we are—in one glorious rainbow of color, shapes and sizes; languages and lifestyles; different abilities…a God whose creation offers us blue skies and rain; sunshine and moon rays; oceans, rivers and canals; a God who has given people the ability to create tons of steel that can fly and stay flying over vast areas of land and sea…a God who gives us the ability to appreciate our differences, yet to have them fall away as God calls us to be one…to celebrate that universal oneness that calls us all to live in peace, understanding and with hope for the future...Thanks be to God…
Blessings, Joanne
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