Often we hear the outer world; it bombards us with falseness, with ephemeral pleasures, with things that never truly fulfill the longing in our hearts. Rising each day in the darkness, allowing the dawn to unfold her wings, I find a moments peace.  The colors of the early morning light evoked wonder.  The rosy fingers of dawn stretching out before the bustle of the day, reminding me of the daily gifts Life brings with her.  Beautiful colors that cannot be duplicated, the birds song, a melody of a small creature praising the day, the emptiness of Hope waiting to be refilled with my appreciation of what Life offers.

In the After Life, it is said, that there is no sun, not like ours.  There is a Light that permeates everything, that radiates and saturates us with Love.  There is no day, no night, no seasons; in fact there is no sense of Time.  It is said that the Peace Beyond All Understanding envelops our souls and we long for nothing. We remember all that we had forgotten, that we are all children of God and beloved.

Working in hospice I think about these things, probably more than most people.  Often I stand at the door of transition from this world to the next, and I watch in wonder as people pass from this world to the next. Death we call it.  We fear it. We mourn, we grieve as we let go.  Because we are spiritual beings with a human heart the transition becomes tangled, the veil of forgetfulness clouds our ability to embrace the change of form, the Joy of returning. But that’s part of the plan, when our hearts are broken open; we expand in Love and return to God with the gift of growth.  We have become more, we have expanded His creation,  and for all we have endured He loves us all the more.

No matter the challenges, Life brings with her beauty to be grateful for.  It is God’s encouragement to us to embrace yet another moment of our journey.