Raining? Pouring.
You know that saying, "When it rains, it pours"? They mean it. Hundreds of pages to read and papers to write, arguments and battles, and illness circling my family like a hungry lioness.
My grandmother recently fell getting out of the tub and fractured her shoulder. Her arm is in a sling and she's bruised, but she's also stubborn as hell and refuses to learn to do things with her good arm.
My aunt was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's incredibly painful and the statistics of survival are not good. She already had breast cancer about fifteen years ago and says she doesn't want to do chemotherapy if it's only going to extend her life by a little.
I've never been sure if God exists - I still couldn't tell you what I believe. What I do know is that faith is very, very real. Faith can be a wonderful thing but it also leads some people down dark paths where they justify harming innocent people. In my case, it doesn't necessarily always give me all the answers I seek. One of my best friends, Brianna, is devout in her faith. She's always been very honest, but not pushy or judgmental. She's been stoic, rock-solid for me over the past eight years we've been friends. It's times like these, when conversation fall short of what we want to say, that she encourages me to turn to the Bible.
My belief in or disbelief of, or even confusion about God doesn't matter; there's something reassuring about suddenly finding a line that suddenly makes sense. I reach for books in times like these, searching for answers. Matthew is just another character, in another book that happens to be religious and famous. Matthew, like any other character in any other book, helps me find solace in the most beautiful thing in the world, language. Authors, poets, novelists, biographers, movie stars, philosophers, artists... they supply that magical phrase or quote that makes me think, "That's my life; I'm not alone after all."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~ Matthew 11:28-30
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and of unspeakable love.” ~ Washington Irving
My grandmother recently fell getting out of the tub and fractured her shoulder. Her arm is in a sling and she's bruised, but she's also stubborn as hell and refuses to learn to do things with her good arm.
My aunt was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's incredibly painful and the statistics of survival are not good. She already had breast cancer about fifteen years ago and says she doesn't want to do chemotherapy if it's only going to extend her life by a little.
I've never been sure if God exists - I still couldn't tell you what I believe. What I do know is that faith is very, very real. Faith can be a wonderful thing but it also leads some people down dark paths where they justify harming innocent people. In my case, it doesn't necessarily always give me all the answers I seek. One of my best friends, Brianna, is devout in her faith. She's always been very honest, but not pushy or judgmental. She's been stoic, rock-solid for me over the past eight years we've been friends. It's times like these, when conversation fall short of what we want to say, that she encourages me to turn to the Bible.
My belief in or disbelief of, or even confusion about God doesn't matter; there's something reassuring about suddenly finding a line that suddenly makes sense. I reach for books in times like these, searching for answers. Matthew is just another character, in another book that happens to be religious and famous. Matthew, like any other character in any other book, helps me find solace in the most beautiful thing in the world, language. Authors, poets, novelists, biographers, movie stars, philosophers, artists... they supply that magical phrase or quote that makes me think, "That's my life; I'm not alone after all."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~ Matthew 11:28-30
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and of unspeakable love.” ~ Washington Irving
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