Someone, somewhere once told me that life was almost entirely made of snapshots, memories that you carried with you to another place and time.
Step by step, one day at a time.
In those snapshots you see the people that you love, laughing, talking, surprised -the moments that you want to remember. You see that first time he thought “just go for it” and kissed you with his entire heart. You see that moment that you realized you were in love; that first beat of a babies heart; broken emotions carrying across a room to someone you’d never see again. Life is made of snapshots.
Today, I resigned from the church that I loved with all my heart, for all the right reasons. I am not a pastor any more, not even a member of the congregation that taught me all I know…at least, until I make the decision to join the organization that more closely supports what I believe in, a larger God that sees past denominations.
Still, that snapshot moment of cutting the bridge ties to my family of faith was a poignant memory in my life. I feel strangely as though I’ve passed from one level of life to another. On this day, there has been an amazing blue sky, laughter, love, and really great chocolate chip cookies. The balance that I feel is unexpected….letting go is always so hard for me….but not this time.
Life has this way of coming a full circle until it ends back on itself and you’re stronger than you ever had the right to be. That is me, now, a full year after the hurricane winds landed on my shore. I will never be the same woman that I was before…to many new scars, to much change, to many heartaches. I’m stronger now, smarter, wiser. I know my way home. I know the difference between a promise made of deep, abiding love and one of a person that has no hope of ever being the one that could fulfill it – just words in a moment. I’ve been from insanity to sanity and back again, only to find that redemption was right there next to me all along. So this week, Changed For Life is moving to the Universal Life congregation of churches, and taking me with it. We’re working on the new video platform for this and that site…and “Letting Go” which we’ll link to this page. Exciting, somewhat sad days in my world. A brave new time, following my destiny into life, not darkness.
For all of you that are out there today, I send you my love. Consider the snapshots that you’re making right this moment, and how precious this day is. Nothing ever like it will come your way again….savor it, suck the marrow from the bones of life and be all that you’re created. Love like you mean it, give more than possible…be authentic.
As much as I’d love to stay and write a meaningful article, my loves, I am off to slug out some final scenes in book one and write the outlines in book two. I’ve a destiny to catch, and the train is drawing so…..much….closer. If you close your eyes and imagine, where would you be? What did you do today that will make that come true? I am finishing what I started with this book, knowing that it holds the keys to freedom and the life that I dream of. Not just for me, but for some very special little people that I love more than life itself, a man worth loving, with dreams and golf courses to explore. Life. Life. It’s an amazing journey, a rare gift. Remember that.
Give love to everyone you meet, let darkness lift from you, compliment yourself in authenticity and be.
Just be.
It’s all going to be okay.
~ily