Sunday, September 8, 2024 Quote of the week

“There is a kind of beauty in imperfection.”

Conrad Hall

My husband said that an artist embodies the essence of a person by discovering the imperfections. The corner of an eye slightly droops a bit lower than the other, or perhaps a smile that broadens a little unevenly, the bottom lip curling gently in a direction the top one doesn’t want to follow. As Jim sketched portraits, he studied the faces and mannerisms, which enabled him to capture their truest being.

Surrealist painter Salvador Dali conceded that we should, “have no fear of perfection…” because it’s unattainable. Influenced by the culture of his time, Dali’s style certainly did not reflect perfection but rather the irrational and distorted perspective of the ordinary. And isn't that what grief does? Distorts reality? The reality we are left with can only be revitalized with reorganizing the chaos death has created. It takes time, perseverance, and grace.

Time. It’s so elusive and all too often squandered. But everything we do at each moment is building for us a means to reorganize the mess we feel after losing a loved one. When we don’t allow ourselves the time, we are allowing other circumstances to steal it from us. This is our time to grieve.

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing,” author William Barclay quotes, “but to turn it into glory.” Turning grief into glory…that seems implausible, but nature teaches us otherwise. Through winter’s darkness, spring bursts forth the light of new growth. The process of healing will look different from others, but it is all productive nevertheless and beautiful in its own majesty. This is our time to heal.

To pardon ourselves from the emotional turmoil we endure, nurtures the tenderness and vulnerability of our hearts. Allowing ourselves grace is a metaphoric bridge…one escorting us from the traumatic side of grief over to a dwelling of peace and appreciation for the life and love we once shared. The second book of Corinthians, 12:9-10, Paul writes that the grace of Jesus, “... is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” If the Almighty bestows to us grace, then we can honor the gift within us as well. This is our time of grace.

Jim and Dali did not try to master perfection in their art. Instead, they looked through their own lens and reflected that into their work. Although different, both took the path of creativity. We too can create on the canvas of our hearts a new and reorganized artform. One that truly speaks of us. Honor the processes of grieving.

There is beauty in the imperfection of our healing journey.

wednesday, october 16, 2024 Quote of the week

“Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.”

John Wooden

The news hurled at us in the swirling sea of social media can be distorted. Snapshots of issues, without the facts, are often misleading and taken out of context. Before believing the content, question the authenticity and the source from which it is derived. Resist being spoon-fed news that may or may not be true. Evaluate before judging.

Identifying reliable sources in digital media is a skill worth learning. My students are taught to examine the smaller subheadings of website links before simply clicking on the first couple of choices. Then, research the organization sponsoring the information, and compare at least three sources while striving for balance and commonalities.

Through these steps, it will lead to becoming educated in a topic rather than accepting the opinions of others. Few things in this world are definitive. Make your own inferences and share your point of view. We all gain from entertaining multiple perspectives that expose complexity.

During the grieving time, allow yourself time to evaluate where you are currently and the new, authentic future you are manifesting. Think about how you feel; determine where you want to be. Consult solid sources, and the best one to begin is with our infallible God.

In Psalms 18:30, we are reminded that, “As for God, his way is perfect. The Lord’s word is flawless…”. In the ever-changing realm of the physical world, there is another that is real, a solid foundation. Here, we can find guidance even though we cannot see the possibilities that rest just upon the horizon.

Performer Merle Dandridge said that, “Authenticity, living your truth, kindness–these are necessary virtues.” Grief holds its grip on us, but when released, it leaves behind a virtuous strength. Avoid judging yourself too harshly and the shackles will fall and a new world will so delicately present itself. A new life that can be lived fully and with joy.

Wayne Dyer quotes that, "All emanates from Source." Trust the truth.

Note to self - I got this…maybe not yet, but it’s coming.

wednesday, october 9, 2024 Quote of the week

"This is not you. This is something moving through you. It can leave out of the same door it came in.”

Cleo Wade

What can you control at this very moment? The tension in your shoulders, the rhythm of your breathing, or perhaps the simple awareness of what is around you. If you’re sitting outside, you may feel the gentle swirling of the breeze on your face, or a slight chill in the air. Maybe you notice the first morning light as it nudges away the night. Or maybe it’s evening, and the night snuggles around you as the cadence of chirping crickets fills the damp air. You hunker down into a comfortable chair for a bit. Yep…this you can control. This is peace and calm.

I am certain that peace is preferred over the anxiety we feel during our grieving, but this truly is a process. As Cleo Wade states in her quote above, it will take a different shape, and we eventually gain power from its grip as we learn to release it.

After my husband died, my world was anything but peaceful. Grieving and the fear of the unknown filled me with uncertainty. More questions than answers toppled into my thoughts. My entire being focused on things in the distant future…things that had not yet even manifested. Everything I had known was in a tailspin, and I wanted to regain control. My anxiety level was heightened, and it influenced each facet of my life from family, career, and purpose. Kahlil Gibran said that, “Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” Looking back, I understand this bit of wisdom.

I learned to trust. I placed trust in the beautiful souls that carried me. I trusted that, with time, the extinguished light in my heart would reignite. I trusted in God’s plan even though His made no sense to me. Through the creator, I learned to let go of control; I never had it anyway. In 1 Peter 5:7 it reminds us that “Casting all your cares, all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares about you with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully.” He has a plan.

Release the need to control the circumstances where the outcomes are not yet to be unveiled. God knows what’s in store for you, for He is already there. Pray, meditate, and resign to living in the present moment. God got us this far, and Jesus taught us how to live a life of peace and joy beyond all circumstances. Declutter your path of worry, fear, and anxiety. Escort out anxiety and usher in peace.

You are not your grief.

wednesday, october 2, 2024 Quote of the week

“It is worth remembering that the time of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest difficulty.”

Dalai Lama

Getting out from under grief can take a painstakingly long while because we find ourselves in a place we’ve never been. We formulate new ways to maneuver, some of which lead us to dead ends, while others a passageway forward. And in the beauty of self-discovery, we choose our own unique way.

We could begin the process haphazardly like flailing eight-year-olds at a birthday party, grasping at anything that finds its way into our lives. There are innumerable external forces we can cling to, but I suggest a place of solitude first. Create a sacred space, granting yourself permission to think and to pray. Solitude gently directed me in the way designed for my healing.

Rumi stated, “Although the road is never ending, take a step and keep walking...on this path let the heart be your guide…”. I listened to mine, and silence spoke. Give yourself unconditional love and patience. I believe the Holy Spirit enables us to redirect rather than condemn those moments of fear and weakness. In 8:26, the book of Romans reminds us that, “In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes…”.

Quiet solitude breathed into me a voice by way of the Spirit. I felt deeply within my heart the steps I needed to take and which to avoid. I was influenced by something I might have read, perhaps the perfect words from a trusted friend, or my daughter’s embrace.

Those are the times when the heart speaks.

Stillness is a superpower. Listen to what it is teaching.

Storylight A transformational journey SHARON M WIBLE

Sunday, September 8, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, october 16, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, october 9, 2024 Quote of the week

wednesday, october 2, 2024 Quote of the week

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