There are few things to do for entertainment on this mission. One which we enjoy is reading. My latest read was "My Grandfather's Blessings" by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. It is a collection of stories of wisdom she learned in life. Rachel grew up in a family that believed religion was the opiate of the masses. Her Grandfather on the other hand was a Jewish rabbi and on the sly filled her mind with teachings of God. When she began her practice of medicine she discovered she looked at life as taught in medical school - with a hard scientific eye - little attachment with people. It brought her little satisfaction and a feeling of burnout. As the years went by she found that the teachings of her Grandfather brought meaning into life and into her practice of medicine. I loved this book.
In thinking about her grandfather's story of the Israelites being led out of Egypt, Rachel asked her grandfather, "Why does God come Himself (as a pillar of fire) , Grandpa?" "Ah Neshume-le, many people have puzzled over this question and have thought many different things. What I think is that the struggle toward freedom is too important for God to leave to others. And this is so because only the people who become free can serve God's holy purposes and restore the world. Only those who are not enslaved by something else can follow the goodness in them."
I love that. I love the way it is written and expressed. Each of us has things that enslave us: our pride, our greed, our sins, our weaknesses, our feelings of inadequacy, etc. What are we to do: Come Unto God - God will lead us out of these webs that enslave us and bring us to freedom so that we can follow His goodness and have joy!
This book is easy to read - story after story - none more than 5 pages long - most 2-3 pages. I just wish I had written down all the wisdom statements that I loved - I may have to re-read it!
2 comments:
That's great that you're finding time to read. I know it's one of your great joys. Sounds like a good book.
She has another great book called "Kitchen Table Wisdom" I reviewed "My Grandfather's Blessings" once and pulled something out of her Epilogue that she took from the Book of Mormon. It is a little long but I am posting it here:
My Grandfathers Blessings – Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
Epilogue:
In the Book of Mormon, there is another version of the Exodus story. In it, the Jaredites, forced from their homes by conditions that stifle their freedom, set out across great uncharted waters to reach the land of promise in boats sealed up tightly against the sea. Jared speaks to God about the difficulty in steering these boats in total darkness. He is told that if he brings stones with him, God will touch them and they will shine forth light.
The voyage is long and difficult in the extreme; there are mighty storms, and the boats are plunged deep beneath the water over and over again. But their seal holds, and the stones, touched by God, continue to shine. According to Jung, the stone is one of the two archetypal symbols for the soul. This image of a people sailing through heavy seas in search of freedom, steering only by the light that the touch of God kindles in their souls, is a particularly beautiful one for me.
The journey to freedom and the promised land may take many forms. Years ago, a friend in England sent me a card with a quote from King George V’s Christmas message to the British people. Shortly before I received this card, my mother, old and very ill, had come from New York City to live the last years of her life with me. She had loved this card and kept it in her purse. Throughout her final illness it stood on her bedside table. It was there on the day that she died. I have framed it now and keep it in my kitchen. It reads as follows:
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
Give me a light that I might go safely out into the darkness.
And he replied, Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be more to you than a light and safer than a known way.
In the course of any lifetime there are times when one has to sail into the unknown without map or compass. These can be times of despair and terror; they can also be times of discovery. Having accompanied many people as they deal with the unknown, I find that the most moving part of the Mormon exodus story is a sing line. Despite the challenges and great difficulties of this sea journey, “the wind always blows in the direction of the promised land.” I have seen many people spread their sails and catch this wind.
There is a grace in life that can be trusted. In our struggle toward freedom we are neither abandoned nor alone.
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