“I’ve learned that grief, whether because of the loss of a loved one or loss of a relationship, it comes in like waves. Some waves you anticipate and prepare yourself for. Others come unexpectedly and knock you right off your feet, leaving you with scraped knees, completely disoriented and out of breath because of the near-death fight to stay above water.”
Read MoreI'm somewhere in between — Fear and Trust
Works and Fait, Spirit and Dust
I'm somewhere in between — Body and Soul
Infant and elder, Leaking and Whole
...
Read MoreI open my eyes and look out of the window. I realize that we have reached optimal altitude and we're cruising above the clouds. Suddenly, my eyes get fixed on how bright the sun is shining. I feel a warmth and peace that can only be explained by the beauty of God's presence. I take my phone out of my pocket and snap a picture. I was reminded how on the ground, the skies were gray and the day seemingly gloomy. The sun was nowhere in sight. One would think that the sun just isn't present when it rains. But with great amazement, once above it, I could see the sun shining ever so brightly and beautifully. I was reminded by a word Shaun (my best friend and father of our daughter) shared years ago, "the sun always shine above the clouds."
Read MoreYou see, when I was healed miraculously from Leukemia at the age of 15, I was left with the scars. The scars that reminded me of the pain, of the biopsies, of the medications, of the hovering fear that I'd die because my aunt had died from the same disease years before. Every scar told a story of unconceivable anger because I didn't understand why I'd go through this. I hadn't done anything wrong, so it felt so unfair. I feared that if I ever opened up or tried to bring hope to someone else, the cancer would return and I would be ridiculed as a result. So I did what most of us do at first, cover them up. I invested time and money on finding the perfect cover up make up so that I can mask the story, I mean, scars beneath. I didn't see the glory of it all.
Read MoreHis voice was weak and kind. I see an old, feeble man with white hair and suddenly I knew exactly who he was. I paused, unsure of how to react. I had not seen this man since I told my mom what happened and she confronted him. How do I embody love and kindness in this moment, for a man that tainted my childhood. It was then that God reminded me that accepting God's love and forgiveness is the first step toward healing. Accepting that God extends that same love and forgiveness for the people that have hurt us is the first step toward wholeness. I was challenged to extend grace to a man, who probably didn't have the wherewithal to ask for forgiveness, so I forgave him anyway. He looks up at me and didn't recognize me. I smiled at him, introduced myself and said, I forgive you. It didn't feel forged. It didn't feel contrived. It was genuine. It was real. It was God. He stood pale and mute. I asked him to greet his family on my behalf and that I pray only the best for them.
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