wednesday, December 6, 2023 Quote of the week

“We are all broken. That’s how the light gets in.”

Ernest Hemingway

And just like that another year is almost behind us. As we step once more into December, isn’t it fantastical that the Light chooses to come to us during the darkest time of the year?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over three million people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Lasting from late fall and into early spring, symptoms include depression, social withdrawal, and physical aches and pains. The “winter blues” is more than just feeling down; it is a serious issue many face.

After a day at work, many of my friends go home, put on their pajamas, and crawl under a cover; hibernation is the word that follows their intentions. Nights come quickly and by the time most get home from work, it is already dark. Milky gray skies press down upon us, and biting temperatures force our shoulders up into our ears. With the looming presence of the cold and dark, it is easy to slide into a winter’s isolation.

Imagine grief being all that consuming. It can be so oppressive, that it is nearly impossible to see hope whatsoever. However, Mahatma Gandhi was quoted in saying that even, “in the midst of darkness, light persists.” So, how do we even begin to search for the light? We look between the cracks.

The cracks in our lives provide a means for the light to return. Whether it be through scripture, service, friends, family, or gorgeous displays of nature, the Light finds its way back to us. I like to envision the cracks as glimmers, glimmers of hope and love through the outpouring of all the miracles that swirl about. Even in winter, the sun breaks through the sky and the warmth of rays crack open our longing. A glimmer.

November’s theme in StoryLight was gratitude, so let’s bring gratitude into December as well. A quote from Movemequotes.com states, “I am grateful for life. All of it. Even the dark. Especially the dark. Because only then, did I come to know the light.” Even in those darkest times, the Light reveals Himself. Whether He does it through his Word, the people in our lives, or through wonders of nature, Jesus is there.

Look between the cracks.

wednesday, December 13, 2023 Quote of the week

“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.”

Sir Francis Bacon

After losing loved ones, the absence is astounding, the silence deafening. The physical state of our own existence has darkened. After some time, I decided to get a puppy to breathe life and happy chaos back into my home. And that indeed is what happened.

When I brought Phoebe Rae Carol Anne into my world, she ushered in persistent energy yet gave me the comfort I was needing. Even during this writing at 5:00 a.m., Phoebe went out twice, and I do believe she is now digging to find the pesky mole that has taken up residence in my backyard. Phoebe was alpha in her litter, therefore, she feels we are equal. She rattles my serenity, but my home is enriched because she is with me.

My dog is “my other” that I talk to, asking her to remind me to put almond milk and eggs on my grocery list. She in turn talks to me; she moves her mouth and makes noises as if talking to me. After watching me raise and lower my blinds, she too pulls the cord back and to the right. Oh, she is a lot.

While it was still light out, I flipped on my outdoor Christmas lights before her afternoon walk. Since she is my other, I “told” Phoebe that by the time we’d return, the lights would be evident; I wanted to see how pretty they were, but I had to wait for the darkness. Whoa…what a revolution!

I am sure Phoebe did not notice how the luminous glow of the holiday gently emerged out from the darkness, but I certainly did. Even in our darkest times, whether it is grief, addiction, disease, unemployment, or alienation, Mahatma Gandhi said, “in the midst of darkness, light persists.”

When planting a tiny seed in the cold dark earth, we wait with faithful anticipation that something beautiful will sprout as it keeps reaching upward and to the light. I can say this after a few years now, but I appreciate the dark times because it taught me love the Light even more. Jim, my parents, my brother…they’ve all given me so much light as they continue working in my life. Although their physical is missed, I feel them in my heart, the recipes I re-create, the music I listen to, and the traditions I carry on.

We need the darkness to see the light. Thank you, Jesus, for your persistent light. Phoebe is now resting below my desk, her paw gently resting on my foot. She can be that too.

wednesday, December 20, 2023 Quote of the week

“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.”

Ellen Burstyn

My computer recently updated, and when I powered it back on, it read, “You have no connection.” Yep, I kinda feel that way at times…not connected and a bit isolated. The holidays bring about rambunctious gatherings and parties, but to those grieving losses, the season’s expectations can also sever emotional connectivity.

Poet Runata Suzuki wrote that "the greatest tragedy a soul can endure is to connect with another… and then be left alone once more.” As we mourn our loved ones and the losses we’ve endured, remember too how much stronger we’ve become. We loved someone knowing the relationship wouldn’t last forever, but we accepted the conditions and loved anyway. Love is inextinguishable.

I powered up and connected to a new mindset, one that would allow growth. So, I am powered in and connected to the permanence of joy; I am staying connected and looking beyond my circumstances. Circumstances, life events, plans, they are all pliable, but joy is steadfast. Chief Seattle recognized that we are all connected even when we don’t feel it. He said, “All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We do not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it.” Everyone wins, everyone loses; we are in this together!

My faith is by far my greatest joy. I am comforted by the fact that I am not in control, and a higher being is clearing new paths for me. Although I craved a big, bustling family, I am nurtured by the tranquility of being by myself. My brother, Howard, reminded me that there is a gift in being alone. It provides opportunities we would otherwise not have to help others. It gives us time to look outside ourselves.

Although I am alone, I am not lonely. I find comfort in the solitude of my thinking, the gentle whispers God breathes into my heart. More time for praying for others and for the challenges our broken world endures. Chief Seattle also said that, “Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” We have so much left to do, and really so little time. We cannot waste the time we have left because we will too move on someday and join those who will be joyfully waiting for us.

I’m learning to trust God and open His new gifts.

Storylight A transformational journey SHARON M WIBLE

wednesday, December 6, 2023 Quote of the week

wednesday, December 13, 2023 Quote of the week

wednesday, December 20, 2023 Quote of the week

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