There are so many things in my house that bring me joy when
I look at them. They are tokens that
help remind me of people, events, moments and memories. If I take time to sit quietly and focus on
one or two, I can sometimes bring myself back to when I acquired the item or to
someone special who found this item especially for me, bringing me to a place
of comfort. I suppose they could be
called moments of Sabbath, breaking through my day, giving me pause and helping
me to reconnect with my ‘self’ and my ‘soul’.
They could be prompters of prayer for people who have entered my life
for a moment or for a lifetime. I ask
myself if I could live without these items, and, to be honest, there are some I
could easily give away or sell. But
there are others that are more than the token that bring me places I need to go
to help me find my ‘self’.
I just finished reading the book Matched by Ally Condie. It’s another dystopian story where officials determine what people need to live a balanced life. Each person is matched to jobs, spouses, neighborhoods and schools based on, I don’t even know what, to keep the communities in control. They have no tokens, and only a few memories and even the memories can be taken away with a pill if the government requires. I am intrigued by the story, and by other stories, like The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Hunger Games series. They make me think about the beauty of art, of words, of life and color. All these things that bring joy to the givers and receivers, the watchers and the hearers that, in someone’s vision of a “perfect” society would be dismissed as non-essential.
All these thoughts on a sacred day: Memorial Day. We remember those who have given so much of themselves so that we do not live in a dystopian world. Where we have freedoms to find joy and passion in life through many mediums and we do. Little things that we take for granted because we know nothing different. So much to be thankful for, but we forget all that was given.
Dear Giver of Joy, of Passion, of Love, thank you for reminding me that I need to pay attention to the things that bring me to moments of Sabbath and that these things were not given without cost and sacrifice. Memories that lay with objects help remind me of people and places that have touched my life are all a part of a larger gift. Help me to honor and appreciate all that memories and tokens remind me of. Amen.