Today I went to the funeral of a long time family friend. It was the first funeral I've attended since completing my cancer treatment. To say it was an overwhelming experience is an understatement. If I"m being completely honest, I don't know where I stand with my feelings regarding the church and God at the moment. I've expressed this to priests and ministers that visited me during my treatment and my hospital stay. They say it's completely normal and ok to feel this way. I've never been one to preach to others for or against God or for or against a specific religion because I believe it to be incredibly personal. This post isn't even about what I believe or what I think you should believe or my journey to understanding the faith that I cling to. It's about finding peace even amidst chaos. I continue to attend church despite my wavering and I always seem
to find peace and strength not in the ritual or sermon, but usually in the music! There always tends to be a song or lyric that strikes a chord with me and I hold on to the feeling of peace it gives me so tightly in order to get me through to the next challenge I may face. Today I heard the song "In every Age" and here is the verse that I'm holding close to my heart this week:
"Teach us to make use of the time we have. Teach us to be patient even as we wait. Teach us to embrace our every joy and pain. To sleep peacefully, and rise up strong."-M