I like this picture because it reminds me that we do not always see clearly. It looks like this jar might hold a mountain range and a sunset or a submerged volcano preparing to spew light. This jar, like each of us, is full of possibility. A have a friend Cornelia who has faced a tough year full of health challenges. But she's still here and getting stronger every day. She had recently taken up painting and is sprouting beauty out of her paintbrush. I will ask permission to put some of her creations here soon. In life, we all have struggles. They can't be avoided. But afterwards, when we take up our paintbrush, our camera, our pencil, our knitting needle, our pots and pans or whatever else we can find to reclaim joy and spread it to others, we declare goodness the winner over our dark days. We find our power. We feel the sun's warmth spreading even to our fingertips. We begin to understand what Jesus meant when he said, repeatedly, "Don't be afraid."
I was the bad mom, back in December when she announced she was going to do this, trying to dissuade her with comments like, "Are you sure you have enough time to train for this?" and "What - you're gonna fly all the way back from Brazil for a weekend just to do a race?" and "Can you even swim that far?" Not that I didn't want her to try, I just thought, what with moving to Brazil, starting work in a new office down there, learning a new language, finding an apartment, and volunteering for an NGO, she might have her hands full already. Why stress out by adding this massive task? I was wrong. She took swimming lessons, ran and biked her body into shape without a problem. This is a gal who likes to be busy. Never underestimate your kids. I should know that by now.
