THE THIRTIETH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN.
Today’s gracEmail is by Sara Faye, whom I thank for allowing me to share it with you.
Waxing philosophical today as I fly home to Houston from Tennessee and an emotional weekend of goodbyes. Celebrating the remarkable life of my precious cousin Kathy, whose many friends gathered to reflect on her life of faith as we joined her dear family in praising God for our living Hope. Sharing memories with cousins of days gone by and reflecting on invisible ties that bind us.
Poring over photographs from childhood, discovering pictures of our moms’ young days, cousin Elaine and I were delighted and nostalgic as we remembered Christmases past at her house when we were children. Also puzzled to identify some of those images so significant to our mothers that their pictures were preserved. And realizing that our children have little knowledge, dare I say, interest, in those pictures so familiar to us. Generations come and generations go.
And then returning to the town of my birth and childhood, to my street, to the place I called home, which now, in the interest of “progress,” is only a vacant lot. Amazing to see every trace of house, garage, hedges — all gone. Seventy-six years of history erased from sight, though certainly not from mind.
The words we often sing at church, “We are a moment, you are forever, Lord of the ages, God before time” (Be Unto Your Name) never felt more true. Our time is precious, but our days are few. And even when those days are dark and include pain and sadness and loss, even that is temporary. Flying through dark, rainy clouds, suddenly to break through into bright sunlight above it, has long been a favorite image of mine. Today, observing this phenomenon again, the words to another song from my childhood swirled in my head and quietly rose to my lips as a quiet song of acceptance and confidence and hope.
Somewhere the sun is shining, somewhere the songbirds dwell;
Hush, then, thy sad repining, God lives and all is well.
Somewhere, somewhere, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!
Land of the true, where we live anew, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere. “