Have you ever had one of those experiences that makes you stop and think, or truly give thanks for the blessings you have? One of the most precious blessings is that of family; they are always willing to support us when we are in need, and they are often the source of the first lessons we learn about how to live life.
A few months ago, I met a woman who is the youngest of fifteen children, all of whom lived in a two-bedroom house while they were growning up. The funny thing is that they grew up next door to my father! The two families lost touch with one another until this past summer, and partly through my chance meeting with Paula, our families have now been reunited.
Paula's brother Michael Walcott wrote a book a few years ago (ISBN 1-4196-1084-8) entitled A Cathedral Inside. Recounting the stories of growing up in a family of fifteen, who had very little in the way of worldly possessions but had an overabundance of love and concern for one another which has continued even to this day, the reader is actually encouraged to recognize the many blessings that we often overlook in daily life.
Throughout the book, Mr. Walcott reminises about the valuable lessons he learned while growing up: about valuing relationships, the simple and innocent pleasure of children at play and the not so innocent meanderings of teenagers and young adults who are living the normal experiences of life.
Physical poverty robs us of many opportunities but it often also rewards us by opening new doors and providing expereinces which teach us to seize every opportunity to live life to the full. Remember that wherever your riches are, there will your heart also be (Mt 6:21).
2 comments:
Could we also say that wherever your heart is, there also are your most treasured riches?
Of course ... the process of recognizing these riches takes some people an entire lifetime, and other people are lucky enough to have them right in front of their eyes.
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