No Wonder

No Wonder

Today was my birthday, October 18. I was feeling blessed. Today my 93-year-old mom, who gave birth to me on that day many years ago, had difficult surgery. I was feeling stressed. It was an emotional seesaw. A roller coaster ride. A blessed-in-spite-of-stressed kind of day. And, oh, how I needed rest.

At the end of that long and tiring day, finally back home in my room, alone, I sat wearily in silence, staring through my picture window into the inky darkness, reviewing the day. I was grateful that Mom had come through her surgery so well. I was grateful that I had been given another year to serve and learn and share. I was grateful to the God of life and love for his unchanging care and sweet peace, no matter what.

As my eyes slowly adjusted to the deep-purple night, gradually I focused on a brilliant spot in the sky. A multifaceted gem. A shimmering diamond. And it dawned on me that it must be a new star in the sky. What else could it be? Although I sat looking out that same window at that same sky many evenings, I had never seen that astonishing star before. It twinkled, it glistened, it teased and winked at me.

Laughing at its black surroundings, the pretty star blew kisses of glory to the earth. Streaks of pinkish joy radiated from the star’s center, forming a halo of hope and beauty that reached out and gently touched the other stars around it. And an aura of angelic peace transformed the chilly autumn sky into a panorama of glowing warmth.

And then I remembered with bitter sweetness . . . my beautiful friend, Sharon, flew home to glory today into the waiting, welcoming arms of a delighted Lord, who danced and shouted, “She is home! She is home!” Her days of stress are over. Her nights of pain are gone. She is forever at rest. Forever without stress. Forever blessed

And smiling softly, I thought, Sharon has not left us. Not really. She is still here, giving us the same sparkling light, indomitable hope, and overflowing joy she has always shed on us. Some things never change. She never changed, no matter what. No wonder we are happy in the midst of our grief. No wonder there’s a magnificent new star lighting up the face of eternity. No wonder.

Mary Hollingsworth

October 18, 2011