Just Thinking

Every election day I think about my dear friend Jack.  Once we started writing this book I began to look at the miracles of Jesus and see them in a new light, looking for the back story, not just the one I had been taught and had remembered.  I always wondered about the beheading of John the Baptist and how Jesus would have felt. I discovered that Jesus had left the towns and gone into the hills to be alone and contemplate the demise of his dear cousin and friend. This feeling of wanting to grieve in peace is one I could understand, for I too, lost my dear friend.  He wasn't beheaded, though somehow his head was crushed from all sides and he died.  All I wanted was to be alone to grieve in a world where unpredicability and sadness is rampant.  But, there always seemed to be a crowd and commitments keeping me from being alone.  Jesus had commitments as well, followers, people who were determined not to give Him a moment's peace.  In  many ways this is an echo of our own lives. When asked about food for the multitude that followed Him, Jesus's response becomes miraculous and they were fed - like a millenia old version of stopping at the nearest fast food spot.  I like that, dealing with the necessities of life while still honoring one's feelings.  

Yesterday, I spoke with a woman who had lost her young husband to brain cancer.  She told me that so many people thought she was amazing, raising her small children, finding her way in the working world, and I am sure she is. Her description to me of continuing on her path, putting one foot in front of the other, honoring her past and seeking her future was a gift.  I hope by sharing these stories we can find understanding and support.  Perhaps it is something we can do for each other. Joan