wednesday, February 28, 2024 Quote of the week

“We know there is intention and purpose in the universe because there is intention and purpose in us.”

George Bernard Shaw

Despite our losses, we still still possess our “essential selves." This is a term author Martha Beck discussed on a podcast. Beck stated that we have a social personality we expose to the world, but the essential self is our truest form…the self we are regardless of situations and places.

Readjusting to the life we have left after loss will be treacherous. It is slow and tedious work. We may take a couple steps forward, and suddenly a song, a date on the calendar, or a sharp memory cuts into us again. We are flung back from where we started. In actuality, the steps forward were taken, so we are that much closer to healing and discovering our essential selves.

“God never loses sight,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes, “of the treasure He has placed in our earthen vessels.” We are gifted with desires, passions, and zest to create and live a purposeful life. Even after reeling from a great loss of a loved one, and going through the process of stepping forward little by little, we begin to understand we have a new and maybe even greater purpose.

When we step out of bed every morning, God has promised in Romans 12:2 that we “will be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We wake refreshed every morning with renewed hope in our hearts and minds. We rediscover the person that was poured into our earthen vessel.

So each day, ask yourself, “What is my why?” What else do I have yet to give? In the evening, reflect upon the gift of your day and how it may have manifested something more meaningful than you could have ever imagined!

wednesday, February 21, 2024 Quote of the week

“Where you stumble, lies your treasure.”

Joseph Campbell

American writer, Joseph Campbell, created a twelve step storyline that differs from the plot diagram for fiction writing. The steps can be summarized simply into three segments.

The story begins with a likable character who is presented with a problem and reluctantly accepts the adventure. The character then experiences grueling and dangerous situations that test strength, perseverance, and courage. Afterward, the character is now a hero, forever changed from the grit of his escapade and is transformed to teach others the way to see their own fearlessness. Campbell calls this the Hero’s Journey.

Maya Angelou said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” If we examine the storylines for The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, Dorothy and Luke Skywalker exemplify what Angelou stated. These films eloquently present the Hero’s Journey structure and its relevance to our own lives.

We all live the Hero’s Journey. The trials of the crosses we bear either build us up or tear us down. It’s our willingness to accept them and step over the threshold that is dizzying. Once committed, the teachers, the situations, the miracles are placed perfectly along the way. The heavy burdens of loss, setbacks, and doubt will transform us too into heroes of our own story.

Typically, treasures are things that bring abundance and happiness, but our trials are too because they will ultimately transform us. In James 1:2-3, he declares that we should “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

As we accept the new quests life presents, approach them with a fearless heart. Campbell’s quote reminds us that when we trip and fall, we discover our greatest strengths of love, dedication, and tenacity.

wednesday, February 14, 2024 Quote of the week

“Ask for help not because you are weak, but because you want to remain strong.”

Les Brown

Hey, can you gimme me a hand with this? When you get a free second, can you help me with something? More than likely you have asked these same questions when needing to move a piece of furniture or hang a picture. You may have started the project thinking you could manage it yourself…until you realized you couldn’t. In any case, there are times when we cannot complete a task alone; we need the help from others.

I replaced my old bulky bookshelf in my office with a streamlined new white one. I used an old bath mat to maneuver the beast down the hallway, but when I moved it to the top of the stairs, I was faced with a dilemma. I thought I could turn it on his side and slide it down the steps. When that failed, I flipped it up where I managed to skillfully wedge my six foot bookshelf in my stairwell! It was stuck between the third step down and the ceiling. No matter what I did, I could not budge it.

I reached out to my neighbor Kim, and she sent her son over to help me. It took the two of us to dislodge it, but together we carried the bookshelf down to the basement. I told him I could take it from there, but he insisted on helping me move it to the spot where I wanted it.

Asking for help is something that is challenging for most of us, but even Jesus, the same Jesus that could summon angels upon his very utterance, accepted help from Simon. When the burden of carrying His cross became too much, Simon stepped in, and Jesus accepted his help. When you are shouldering the burden of a heavy cross, let others who love and care for you help carry it. They want to walk through this with you…so let them.

Richard Carlson said that, “rather than being afraid to ask for help, remember this: when you ask someone to help you, you are actually doing them a tremendous favor by giving them an opportunity to feel needed.” When facing hardships or grieving losses, reach out to those people and let them feel significant.

Reach out also in prayer. In Isaiah 30:18, it says “the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you love and compassion.” He knows what you need, so prayerfully ask Him to help you carry you through.

wednesday, February 7, 2024 Quote of the week

“In bereavement, make yourself better, not bitter.”

Martin Amis

My friend, Carol, bought me a women’s devotional book after Jim passed. It was a “just because” gift with the intention of aiding my grieving journey. When I read it, it’s like an unexpected gift was dropped off on my front porch! Some insights touch lightly, while other messages are in exact timing of my spiritual needs.

The author of the devotional, Be Still and Know, is Julie Rayburn. In it, she writes that “when enduring the storms of life, we have a choice. We can either turn toward God or away from him—becoming either bitter or better.” From this quote, two meditations came to mind for me. The first is that stillness in body and mind is required to hear God’s sovereign voice. Secondly, moving forward is the greatest honor to those loved ones who are now gone.

Before honoring our loved ones, we must first forgive ourselves for being angry. I was so bitter in the beginning; we had a life, we had plans, and it was abruptly stolen away from me. I shook my fist at the sky on a few occasions, but what I failed to realize was that everything was in God’s plan… the day we are born and the day he brings us home...everything. The shock eventually subsided, and my faith gradually crept back in, swallowing my anger and my fear. Time is a great healer.

At first, I felt guilty when I caught myself chuckling at a joke or enjoying the early autumn rains. I was invited out, but did I have the right to go to dinner or attend a party? Working through the guilt was one of the most difficult mountains to climb. Yoga cleansing and counseling paved the way through this arduous journey. Theresa, my counselor, taught me a mantra to use in any situation inviting change: “With this being the case, how then shall I proceed?”

When we desire to listen, we can hear God's plan he has for us. In the first book of Samuel 3:10, it states that when we are silent, is when “your servant is listening.” Be still in prayer and meditation as we invite God into our hearts, for our hearts have heavenly ears. God will clarify what our next step is yet to be.

Resigning your will to a greater one will be difficult, but “whatever makes you uncomfortable,” Bryant McGill writes, “is your biggest opportunity for growth.

Allow yourself to live again.

Storylight A transformational journey SHARON M WIBLE

wednesday, February 28, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, February 21, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, February 14, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, February 7, 2024 Quote of the week

This website uses cookies.