November Gratitude: Discovering Beauty in New Life and Final Days
Today, I am in Reno, Nevada, to visit our firstborn great grandson and to celebrate his mama Sydney’s birthday tomorrow. I adore newborn babies and made my reservations for this trip before Baker Jackson made his grand entrance on October 19th!
Such beauty and potential lies within every newborn. The possibilities for our miniature great grandson are enormous. Hopes for his future are huge.
While we rejoice more than words can express over the birth of our great grandbaby, Ron and I are often reminded of how quickly life passes. These days, we attend more memorial services than baby showers. The end of earthly existence for several friends and family has created many sad moments and reflective conversations.
Recently, a dear lady who for eight years was our neighbor and younger daughter’s piano teacher, commented about life’s later days.
“The thing I like most about autumn,” Sharon said, “is the beauty God displays in death. Those leaves are dying and yet they are so gorgeous. As I enter my 87th year, I am trusting my home going will be as beautiful to myself as it is to God.”
Sharon’s words remind me both beauty and potential are found even in death. Sharon, a woman of deep faith, believes that even though the process of dying is filled with mystery, possibilities awaiting are enormous. Sharon’s hope for an eternal home with the God she loves and has served for so many years is huge.
Thoughts about both new life and final days are illustrated in The Lion King, a production many of us have enjoyed and may have nodded in understanding when Rafiki sang “The Circle of Life.” Among its various implications, the song signifies life is like a loop, and even though death happens, new birth continues to occur.
Both are beautiful!
No matter how young or old, life is a precious gift, and every single moment is significant. On this November day, I am grateful for each new day I am privileged to live. With thanksgiving and great joy, I will rejoice in every birth. Despite sadness, I will pause to recall and celebrate the well-lived life of every loved one whose earthly journey ceases.
My prayer during this process will be:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
(Psalm 90:12, NIV)
Gratitude for and blessings to you,
