La Chaim, To L I F E
This morning was the funniest thing. I was laying in bed and I was thinking about my grandmother, Catarina, whom I was named after. She only had a 4th grade education and did NOT speak English well. I miss her dearly especially since Larry and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary coming up next month. I can still hear her voice speaking in broken English when she told me she prayed for "everybody in the whole world!" I remember as an 8 year old child, looking deeply into her eyes, searching and wondering how she did this? I actually asked her but... she didn't answer me. I wondered why?
My thoughts led me to remember how Larry and I each Friday evening during Shabbat, clink our wine glasses together and say: "La Chaim!" It means "To Life!" Then the Lord asked me: If you were to take the English word "L I F E", what would your acronym speak? At first I told the Lord, L = Love I = Is F = Fully E = Excellent. Then I thought: L = Love I = Inside F = Feels E = Endless The third phrase that came to me was: L = Love I = Is F = Forgiving E = Everyone... wait, then I wondered if that was the unspoken answer my grandmother knew but was hiding inside her heart? It seems as though her DNA is still speaking LIFE into me today.
Last night Larry and I watched a documentary on Saul/Paul who martyred Stephen. He took one last look at Paul and said, "I forgive you" before his last breath. In the movie a bride, Johanna, (Paul killed) on her wedding day to Addai, her husband, who wanted to believe in GOD but instead saw how "the sword" killed many believers. After Paul was healed from Ananias prayers for his blindness, Paul could "now see" the pain in Addai and many others he hurt. In the end, Addai gave (a captain killed him) and lost his life for Paul. Today God continues to sing songs around hearts to proclaim "Love Never Fails." 1Co 13:7 Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. 1Co 13:8 Love never ends;... I know when I ponder 50 years of memories in our marriage, God's Ahava Love is Faithful!
Heb 4:12 See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword—it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. Art is NOT about you creating perfect things! But is is about GOD creating YOU perfect to Be Love Under His Wings!