Jewels in the Darkness

I love my life! even when it means listening to sad stories, or struggle. I've heard plenty in the last few days. People hurting each other, people in pain, people feeling lonely and scared, people dying too young. In addition, I've been working on a memorial photo slide show for the Annual Dragonfly Project Celebration and Remembrance event. So for the past several days I've spent about thirteen hours staring at the faces of people who have died and feeling that grief that their loved ones feel.

Sometimes being human is hard and painful, scary and disappointing. Sometimes, despite our efforts things don't go like we want. And yet there is light. There is hope. As I'm listening, I'm looking in their eyes and right there are the jewels of hope. In those precious eyes I see love determined to not let go, I see passion ready to break through walls, I see hope. I hear it in the way the voice wavers for a bit and then continues. The voice bravely moving through the struggle to speak the truth, to say the words that need to be heard. I feel it in the intensity of the emotion. Here is a person who has very strong feelings. The intensity is a sure sign that love is at work, that love wants to win this one. There is hope.

And as I work with the photos of loved ones who have died, I am touched deeply by all the lives all these people have touched, leaving behind love--love enough to make them remember, love enough to honor and grieve for. There is hope even in grief.

Even so, I cry. And even in that, there is hope. It is a sign that my heart is still at work too, that compassion still lives in me. And that is hopeful.

So I still love my life. And I am grateful for each person whose path has crossed mine this week. Thank you for seeing me, for sharing your heart with me, for trusting me with your pain, and for letting me see the light in the darkness, the jewels in your eyes.

My good friend Barbara McAfee wrote this song "Jewels." my favorite line from that is "Every time I go into the darkness, I return with fists full of jewels." She is right! I do! and in my case, I also return with fists full of Jules. Pieces of me are healed and brought to life.

It is my prayer, my longing, that somehow my presence and my listening offers some hope in return, that there is some light shining through, some jewel for each of you to take with you.

I want to share this song with you and hope it blesses you as it has blessed me. And I pray that LOVE will help you find your jewels in the darkness.

Thank Barbara McAfee for the song! You can find more about Barbara at barbaramcafee.com