Glorious UnFolding

Lately, I came across a CD by Steven Curtis Chapman called The Glorious Unfolding. The title song is a powerful testimony to how our lives unfold throughout the years and though we may not be able to see it at the time, God is present and guiding us all along the way. This belief has upheld me throughout my life, during difficult times and joyful times. Sometimes, I can see the path ahead but at other times, I have no clue if I’m on the path or not and feel like I’m just going through the motions, trying to live as faithfully as I can.

Right now, I feel like my life is unfolding in some “glorious” ways. It’s a welcome relief after last year’s pain and struggle. I am in a time right now where I feel close to God, close to family and friends, and close to God’s call on my life. I’ve even got this website up and running … and anyone who knows me knows what a miracle that is! But, thanks to friends like Peter G and Howard F and the good folks at BlueHost, I have been able to bring to life another aspect of my call. Stitched Pieces is now a reality. Who would have believed …

I’m fully aware that these feelings won’t last. I know at some point, I’ll feel like I’m slogging away at life again, going through the motions, and will lose momentum. But, I’m enjoying this time for all its worth. And the lovely thing is that I KNOW God is with me in it all. In the good and the bad. The inspired and the dreary. What I’m called to do is the next thing as best I can. To follow my heart’s passions and call that God has placed deep inside, which is my most authentic self. I can’t go wrong if I listen to and respond to what is most true to me.

My spiritual director gave me the following quote by William Stafford (The Way It Is, Graywolf Press, 1999):

“There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it, you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding. You don’t ever let go of the thread.”

May we all find our threads and hang on tightly.

~ Terri

Photo by Charles Geiser, Stone Arch, Grazelema, Spain