Upon return from my family vacation, I had 24 hours to transition from home to leaving again with my work. We had four days of excellent professional learning in Charlottesville, VA. To take a little pause, we engaged in our place of worship on Sunday online. One verse, towards the end, captured my attention. John 6:29, Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. As humans, we can make things complicated. We don’t mean to. We create systems and norms to support our daily functioning in this complex world. We all have great ideas on how to make things better. As someone who loves God and wants to understand Him, I’ve overcomplicated my relationship with Him. It’s tangled in works, others’ perceptions of me, and my life choices. I can get so mired in the mess that I start questioning.

What is my work?

Yesterday my husband and I attended a celebration of life. This amazing woman was in her 90s and full of love for her family. She was the cake lady who made all the cakes for family and friend events, and she could sew and crochet/knit. I often went to baby and wedding showers, and we all knew her handiwork would be the highlight.

The service was at a church my family attended for over 20 years. I saw friends that I had not seen for a while. Talking to everyone at once is hard, but you make your rounds and catch up. I especially enjoyed catching up with my friend Wanda.

Later that evening, as I lay in bed praying, thinking, and talking to God, I closed my eyes and saw the friends and families in my mind. It was almost like a movie reel. They moved in and out of mind but connected, and their life story played out. I saw the word “believe” and understood it more clearly.

Believe (verb)

1. To have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so: Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully. (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe)

I was in my 20s when I began relationships with them. Now, at 57, we have varied stories to tell. Stories of great joy from the birth of grandchildren, weddings, and careers achieved to losing children, broken relationships, and caring for your partner who is sick and you are unsure of their future. The common theme in all of the stories is belief. Believing that our journey home takes only one thing, “to believe in the one he has sent.” Within that belief, we can act purposefully. Despite the complexity of their stories, I saw beloved friends living life on purpose. Carrying on, moving forward with the knowledge and belief that God loves them. Has them. This belief comes with joy, tears, frustration, and all the emotions God has given us to express our pilgrimage home.

Problems are not resolved or removed with a magic wand. It’s the hope you see amid the struggle. The unwavering belief that God is with and sustains me no matter what.

My mom asked me to share the name of the person who had passed away. I took a picture of the program and sent it to her. I decided to post the program here to remember her. To give honor to her. I smiled. Another example of a life lived on purpose and with belief.

I’d like to close out with a quote from a song and a video.

Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart (Crosby, Stills, and Nash)

This quote suggests that fear can prevent us from truly experiencing joy and happiness. It implies that when we are consumed by fear, our hearts remain closed and guarded. On the other hand, laughter has the power to unlock our hearts, allowing love, happiness, and positive emotions to enter. It highlights the importance of embracing laughter and finding joy in life as a means to overcome fear and open ourselves up to experiences and connections.

This line jumped out at me. We were listening to a documentary, and this song came on. When we can believe, we can experience great joy. This video is from a moment in time in my daughter’s house. This joy in the ordinary is a part of our belief.