". . . there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish." - Isaiah 9:1a
Dear Friends in Christ -
Today, I'm clinging to this vision - a vision of deliverance for those who are in the darkness of suffering, those whom I'm comforting in my roles as priest and friend.
People often ask me: "How do you do it; how can you bear to spend so much time with people who are in distress, who are dying?"
My answer to that question changes constantly, because God is always finding new ways to sustain me. Today, as I sit here writing to you, I realize that I catch sight of this vision of "no gloom" by looking . . . literally, by looking up and by looking down.
When I look up, I see light. Even on this cold, gray day, I just looked out the window and caught a sight of a sliver of light through barely parted clouds. The physical act of looking up allows more breath to flow into my body, and the sight of the light lifts my spirits.
When I look down, I notice that I am connected, connected to the wonders of the sustaining earth. This morning, when I was cooking in my kitchen, looking down brought me into awareness . . . my nose was smelling cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, pine; my ears were hearing melodious Christmas tunes. Pausing to look helps me notice how I am sustained by goodness, even in the midst of very difficult struggles.
Today, I'm clinging to a vision, a vision of "no gloom." I'm sustained in this clinging by the simple act of looking, expecting to see. May it be so for you as well.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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