Today was leaving day for our next adventure. Saying goodbye is so very hard, even when you know you’ll be together again soon(ish). We have spent the last 10 days or so on farewells, tying up loose ends, and taking care of last-minute details. The very hardest goodbye is saying goodbye to Mom. I live in eternal hope that she will decide to travel with us.
Saying goodbye to the familiar allows us to welcome in more new friends and experiences. We stretch our comfort zone and enlarge our boundaries. It also allows us to anticipate saying “Hello again” with joy.
Sermons at church over the past couple weeks have revolved around grace and peace. I will never tire of those two subjects – they are, in my mind, the stuff that love is made of. The messages were perfectly timed – always the way God works.
This summer, Mom and I have been collecting Monarch eggs and caterpillars. Mom nurtures them while they recycle milkweed and go into chrysalis, and then we release them together. We started tagging them mid-August. This whole process is a visible demonstration of grace and peace, and the transformation that occurs because of them. It is easy to get into the rhythm of life – keeping our head down and “eating the milkweed” and letting that be our focus. When we allow ourselves a time of peace – turning inward and seeing God’s presence in our lives and realizing that he has gifted us with talents and abilities – and gathering the courage to break out of the rut/comfort zone – we are ready to emerge from our chrysalis.
We released a butterfly this morning after tagging it. We set them on a flower outside to allow them to acclimate. Today, it was a Peace Lily. This plant is special – came from an arrangement from my Dad’s memorial service. The butterfly lingered, giving us a lovely time watching it. As it flew off, an American Bald Eagle flew over. My Dad was captivated by the eagles – we often watched them when I spent time with him during his illness. Mom and Dad monitored their activity closely together. As I watched this unfold this morning, I was filled with the most warm and wonderful sense of peace. The verse from John 14:27 came to mind: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” God, with his great love and grace, bestows these beautiful visual reminders. What a wonderful gift!
Grace Lesson: Pay attention to the myriad of ways that God showers you with grace and fills your soul with peace.
Lert's Lessons in Grace 