[Nevertheless] This is What I Hold On To [Advent 23]

If I looked at my life through the lens of chronic illness and chronic pain, I would be miserable all of the time. If I let the pain overwhelm the joy of spending time with people I love and doing things I enjoy, life would be unbearable. 

Nevertheless, I hang on to the snapshots of life that nourish my soul; moments that put a smile on my face; experiences that elevate my spirits. 

  

At church just yesterday, eleven year old Alia helped her friend Jack sort out the string on a Chrismon so that he could hang it on the tree at church. Their caring exchange touched my heart. At the time, I had a pounding migraine, incredibly painful shoulder, and was exhausted beyond measure. Nevertheless, what I will hold on to is the love, caring, and joy of the moment.

As we were hanging a treasure trove of memories in the form of ornaments on my parents' Christmas tree, it dawned on me that, although I spent a good deal of my childhood coping with pain, anxiety, and OCD, the memories associated with each ornaments are those of love, comfort, family, and peace. 

There are times when I get down; when I struggle; when the physical, emotional, and mental pain overwhelm any sense of happiness and well-being, but in the end, what I hold on to is the good, the light, the kind, the spark of grace that flits through life, offering inspiration, comfort, and peace.