There is hope in the journey!

This week the great poet, Maya Angelou, passed away. And, as I was looking at some of her famous writings, this quote struck me in particular. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” Our journeys can be hard and our stories difficult but we can choose how they are incorporated into our future. You see, it is not the external that defines us but the internal Spirit that weaves our circumstances and choices into a rich tapestry allowing us to learn compassion, love for others, love for ourselves, and faith in God. In Romans 8, we are promised that in trouble, hardship, and danger, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. There is always hope in our journey!

I had the blessing this week of seeing evidence of God’s redemption in my family. This was my younger son’s graduation weekend and the extended family came together to celebrate the end of one era and the beginning of the next. And as we sat together at the table in a restaurant after a graduation, I looked around and just took in different cameos of our lives. My oldest was there with us as a part of the family, laughing, and looking very healthy and happy. I see physical and emotional healing… My ex-husband, his wife, and daughter were sitting next to my younger son and interacting as one large family with all of the extended family. I see relational healing… My parents were there and my Dad is gaining strength after his cancer surgery a month ago- more healing… And my youngest son sitting next to his sweet girlfriend and excited about his next phase after a year of transformation in his faith- pure redemptive healing. And as I looked at each of one around the table, my heart swelled with joy and hope. Believe me there was pain in the journey that got us to this point. Yes, we could have been reduced by the journey but we were not. We continue to be redeemed, healed and enriched. There is hope when the MESS from the pain of life becomes the MESSAGE of the hope of life!

So, with hope, my faith builds. And, I trust that God has each of us in his hands. I trust that his plan for us is underway and always has been. I trust that he will be our strength with each step on our journey. And, I trust that it has been perfectly laid out. This was reinforced in a precious discussion with my oldest last night. It had been at least a year and a half since he was at home over night and we could sit on our couch and just talk. And, we did just that. I will treasure that time. We talked through some old things but mostly what he has been learning as he continues his journey. In the past 6 months, not only has he been working his AA program, we included some additional therapy to hopefully address some other issues like anxiety and past hurts. He has found it very helpful and important to his personal growth and ability to move on with life. I made the comment that it was a shame that we did not do it earlier in his recovery process. His immediate reaction was that it was perfectly timed. He felt that he would not have been open or committed to it in the way that he is now earlier in the process. God perfectly placed that opportunity at the right place in his journey. My son is trusting God in the meaning of this journey and as Maya Angelou suggested is choosing not to be reduced by the difficulties of that journey. My son’s faith buoys mine!

So today, I know and I feel the hope in our journey. And, my hope is that anyone reading this today who is discouraged or fearful will see the hope in mine and choose to look for the hope in theirs and not be reduced by their circumstances. God is able to provide hope in any circumstance!

Today, I will definitely run with hope. And, as a celebration of younger son’s continued journey, I will leave you with my prayer for the graduate!

My Prayer for Tyler- Graduation Day

God bless my son, your precious one,
My gift, my heart, our lives soon to part.
His time to grow into a man;
His time to live out your plan.

My heart so full and yet it aches.
My heart leaps for joy and then it breaks.
Our time together is drawing to an end.
And into the world, we gratefully send
A special young man whom God specifically created
To live in this world and learn how to change it.

He taught me love and made me laugh.
His kind heart and warm embrace
Have graced my life and can never be replaced.

I’ve seen a boy turn into a man
With a love for God and a developing plan
To touch the hearts of even more
Through worship and love, he has much in store;

A life of richness and of joy.
A man, yes, but always my boy;
So, I’ll let him go and leave the nest
For I know for him, God holds the best.

A life planned forward just for him.
A life to love and give away
The goodness and soul of this precious child.
So, it is now his special day
To celebrate a life lived well with lots of friends and stories to tell.
But now a new season begins to unfold;
A life of stories yet to be told.

This mom stands proud watching him walk
Knowing that he still has much to be taught.
But now it’s time to trust the Lord
To walk his path and guide him forward.
For when he doesn’t have a clue,
Our God always knows just what to do.
And when he doesn’t feel quite able,
Our God’s strength will always make him capable.

For he was HIS first before he was mine.
Now I get to watch the plan of the Divine
Lived out in the life of my precious son.
I now cheer for his new life begun.

So, I send you off, Tyler, with all of my love.
You are my gift from our God above.
I will watch with great anticipation
As you move through life’s next station.
Learn a lot, take chances,
love well, have faith and be thankful.
And, my son, I will pray for you every day.
And, even though we are apart,
You will forever be my heart.

So, God bless my son, your precious one,
My gift, my heart, our lives soon to part.
His time to grow into a man;
His time to live out your plan.
And on my knees, today I give thanks
That I was the very one
Whom you chose to be his Mom.

Tyler, all my love on your graduation day!