#AdventWord #Strength

                    Photo of two of the strongest people I know, my late Grandma Anne and my Dad's Brother Joe, who continues to fight various health problems with his sense of humor intact. 

Today's word is STRENGTH. 

I pause to give thanks and to celebrate the strength that many people I know {including myself} have tapped into during these strange times. 

Personally, I am weary of being strong.  I've been living in trauma response for so long that living with my guard always up has become my new " normal".  I agree that strength is a virtue-- as we must be strong to find resilience. but I find that it's hard to seek joy when my default mode has been stuck on mere survival. 

 Strength is tiring. 

 I give thanks for the people around me-- those examples of living saints who somehow find awe and wonder in every day. I look to these people-- and there are several joy-bearers in my life-- to remind me of God's love and in the inherent goodness of each person. 

  For me, being strong means that I don't let the world's problems define me. Part of this strength is to be mindful and very selective on which news I consume & from what source. It takes a lot of strength for me to stay focused on joy this holiday season. But with God's Help {and the help of the joy-bringers in my life} I will persevere in hope. 

Amen. 

Sarah McCarren

11/29/21