Dear TSJ Friends and Family,
Shall we spend a few moments together in reflection? Our muse Solomon has been missing his role in writing the blog letters to our “peeps.”
As many of you know, I am taking a bit of a hiatus from writing the weekly blog letters. I am working on some writing and seeking renewal and guidance in my work. Thank you to all of you for your patience and for your numerous encouraging words. And I really couldn’t go to sleep tonight without sharing some thoughts with our TSJ peeps.
Today I was puzzled that I woke up feeling rather discouraged. I had slept well and felt well and have been dreaming some new dreams for myself.
So I wondered, “Why do I feel gloomy upon opening my eyes? The day hasn’t even begun!”
But I have grown to realize moods are tricky things. So I immediately whispered a “Thank you for a new day” prayer. And I felt a slight shift for the better.
Hmm. A tiny seed of gratitude might have been dropped into my heart. May it flourish.
ON SUFFEREING . . .
As I stirred myself out of bed, I remembered I had gone to sleep with sadness for several people’s suffering. I had actually deeply pondered about various aspects of suffering. As I closed my eyes and shut down my brain, I had concluded that everyone suffers at some point.
Suffering (it seems to me) comes in all different sizes and shapes as it casts its shadow across our hearts and minds. But we cannot have a shadow without the light behind us. So there is always hope. With that I had gone to sleep.
I picked up the theme again as I went about my morning rituals of brushing teeth, dressing etc. I began to ponder again about suffering, mood shifts, discouragement etc. It was then that I heard an echo of a memory ….. a phrase from a song my mother used to sing. It was, “Be faithful weary pilgrim for the morning I can see…” I could remember nothing more. Not another word or even more of the tune!
I ran it by John and it did not ring any bells in his memory. He may never have heard it. Anyhow, I felt like a weary pilgrim on this journey.
SEEDED IN CHILDHOOD . . .
And it got me to thinking about how often the gospel songs my mother sang around the house have come to mind at crucial moments in my life. As I was telling John this he made a comment that really hit home to me; “Much of who we are and what we believe was seeded in childhood.”
Hmm. How true. Seeds of who we are today were planted in childhood. Today it came as a distant memory from a song I cannot remember!
What kinds of seeds have grown within you through your life? I imagine you too have grown some healthy and perhaps some not-so-healthy beliefs and attitudes that were seeded and watered in your developmental years by parents, teachers or spiritual leaders.
I reflected with John that, despite my early childhood of suffering from my mother’s emotional turmoil, those songs planted faith and hope in my heart and mind. Now that I am older I realize she was probably singing them to comfort herself.
And I am thankful for the seeds of goodness planted in childhood that are still bearing fruit. And the not-so-good seeds that grew up with me? Well, those too are being healed and transformed.
JOURNALING
Journaling is a helpful way for me to sort things out. So this morning, I scribbled in my journal: In this time in our world we have been awakened to immense suffering of all kinds. All we can do is share the journey of faith in God’s Goodness and Love. And we must be faithful in seeding the gardens of our minds and hearts with goodness.
I think I heard Solomon nod in agreement, but mostly he sat and kept quiet.
DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
After journaling, I turned to my devotional book and read words I needed to hear. They are paraphrased from scriptures:
“My Love will never let you go…. Be thankful there is One who sees straight through your defenses and pretenses. You don’t have to work to earn my love. Self-acceptance is the path to self-forgetfulness, which is the royal road to joy!” (Quotes from Jesus Always by Sarah Youngs)
So Solomon and I have been thinking about the many stressors and much sadness our “peeps” are experiencing and remembering that we are a bit like weary pilgrims at times. But we can shepherd each other’s hearts on our search for wisdom and hope.,
Meanwhile I had a happy ending to this day!
I found the song on the internet that I had mentioned above – called Follow Me. Not only that, but several other old spiritual hymns my mother and our church sang when I was a child. (No worries for those reading this that have not heard these songs. Each faith tradition has its own.)
But here is the link for you who may want to check out old songs like Amazing Grace, It is Well With My Soul, In Christ Alone etc. Some are fairly new too. Just go to Spiritual Hymns and you will see a list of “hymns” and click on Follow Me. You will see the recording beside the lyrics.
Solomon and I hope your are finding grace in your trials and hope in your dreams and comfort and wisdom through reading, music, mentors, friends and all kinds of earth shepherds!
With love in our hearts,
Margie (and Solomon)
PS. Always remember that we love hearing from you at marg.m.cole@gmail.com! We take seriously your comments and we pray for you. Let’s go plant seeds of goodness wherever we can!