 Spiritual: September 08, 2010 Issue [#3960] |
  Spiritual
This week: Blanket of Strength Edited by: KimChi  
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| Hello, I'm KimChi , your newest Spiritual Newsletter editor. I enjoy researching and learning from all spiritual traditions to better understand the amazing array of wonderful cultures on our fair planet. Mostly, I find spirituality in the everyday--the music of birds, the caress of the wind, the wisdom of children. May your life be filled with the blessings of Spirit this month. |
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The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials. ~Confucius
God gave burdens, also shoulders. ~Yiddish Proverb
My strength is made perfect in weakness. ~II Corinthians
We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them. ~Charles C. West
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word "crisis". One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity." John F. Kennedy, Speech in Indianapolis, Indiana (12 April 1959) .
"Strength through adversity" is a common theme all over the world. "That which does not kill you makes you stronger" is a great summation of the idea because it describes physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.
Many trials, disasters, and vices can try the spirit, but one of the most stress-filled is having a loved one in a medical emergency. Our family recently sustained three crises in a 24 hour period; the oldest member (86) remains in the Intensive Care unit, while the youngest remains in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit of another hospital.
Each day, we wait through endless junk food for information--a statistic, an x-ray--but mainly for the ephemeral and ever-changing bottom line. Our hopes and tears fall to the waiting room floor to be swept up with the stale pastry crumbs. The teens remain unusually polite listening to our beliefs of Divine Intervention and signs and symbols. We repay the favor with compassion for their failed stoicism. And as we wait, we laugh, cultivate hope, and grow--individually, and as a family unit.
On the fourth day, no one spoke as four families gathered on the grass to picnic in fresh air and daylight, but the sideways glances and half smiles were evidence of the shifting threads of our family blanket. Ragged relationships have been picked out stitch by stitch, resewn with fresh grace; the threadbare beauty of our most cherished memories pressed and starched; ancient smudges of resentment patched over with delicate lace; and new tales of heroism and honor tacked to the edges. This family blanket tightens around us, through the miraculous strength of the weakest fibers.
We are a diverse group--born in America, Japan, Indonesia, Germany. Our spiritual beliefs run the gamut from Roman Catholicism to Neo-Paganism. We are stronger for that diversity. Although not all of us realize the fact yet, we are forever changed by these shared experiences. Wisdom and maturity bloom in the young; patience and unconditional support in the untested. We huddle under this protective fabric that brings us closer, in sickness and in health.
Unfortunately, adversity is one of the few times humans take the opportunity to inspect our family blanket, to see if we can all fit comfortably. If not, it must be time to get sewing; to add more material or pull the threads tighter.
Take a few minutes this week to give a gift of spirit to a family member or friend in need--mend one small hole in the fabric of your precious heirloom with nothing more than a hot cup of coffee or a hug. Upon close inspection you may be surprised to find the ancient coverlet handed down from the ancestors is bound tight with the lightest, most delicate threads. |
These picks are all related to the topic of strength in some way; each piece touched my heart. Enjoy, and please send the author a line a two about what you liked (or didn't.)
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As this is my first newsletter, I have no feedback.
My question to you this month: Have you written down the most horrific experiences of your life? Have you wondered if God or the Universe had deserted you to your misery? If so, what did you learn about yourself and your family? If not, why not write it down now? (Personal experiences can be easily disguised in fiction.)
On behalf of the Spiritual Newsletter team, thanks for reading. Send in your best spiritual works--we may feature them in an upcoming issue!
Keep the faith!
Kimchi
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