PONDER – Luke 1: 26-38
And
Gabriel came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” …
Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to
your word.’ -vs. 28, 38
I thought about a gift of a different kind for
which I am grateful. The giver likely didn’t realize she was giving a gift.
At church on a Thanksgiving Sunday we were
asked to pray our thanks during the prayers. One person who has really serious
eating disorder problems thanked God for her troubles.
The gift is, it caused me to think how often,
if ever are we humbled to thank God for our troubles that actually help
strengthen us and make us who we are especially while going through them? – Mary
We have all heard interviews where the
interviewee is asked, ‘Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?’ The
response is generally positive with the interviewee expressing what has been
learned through the experience, the joys that have been mixed with the troubles,
the person one has become because of the trials. I think that Mary the mother
of Jesus, if asked, would have said, ‘yes, I would do it all over again.’
Ponder for a moment the ‘troubles’ you have
endured, the less than savoury aspects of your life, your secrets, and your
disappointments. All of these contribute to who you are and to whom you will
become. There is a process in therapy circles where clients are invited to ponder
the stories from their life and re-write the script. The process has a person
take an experience from their life and tell the story with a focus on goodness
and healing.
For instance- Years ago, I was in a car
accident. I could tell a captivating story with all the details of the accident
and ensuing trauma. Or I can chose to tell the story from a perspective of
healing- my friend and I weathered a scary experience together; emergency
workers were efficient and attentive as they cared for us; both of us were
given exercises that changed our ability to move/helping us as we age; I grew
as I learned how to manage fear and flashbacks; I have received a greater
capacity for empathy for people facing similar circumstances; and in the moment
when death is more than a shadow I have experienced that quiet moment when all
stands still – and there is peace. All this is gift!
The ‘Nurturing the Good’ meditation continues:
“feel the gift of life that is pulsing through your veins now and let
yourself feel thankful for it. Feel the gift of life that surrounds you every
moment, everywhere you go. Feel this gratitude in your body. Let yourself be
nurtured, strengthened by it. And notice if there are any ideas arising about
how you might create a beautiful past today or soon, for yourself and those you
care about.” ---- Carolyn
Following the car accident, I had a
renewed gratitude for life, and then life moved on.
This Advent, meditating on PAUSE, PREPARE,
PONDER, I have once again renewed my gratitude for the gift of life! The gift
of another day! I have found such joy in this, that regifting LIFE is the gift I
strive to share in the world.
Money
is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give
our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that
cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to
give. ---Steve Goodier
Holy One, we give thanks for our
troubles.
Encourage and strengthen us to learn
along the way.
Open us to knowingly walk with others
through the challenges of daily life,
and day-by-day may we so filled with
gratitude for another day,
that we re-gift LIFE to the world. Amen.
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