CONFIDENCE, FAITH AND LOVE

Daughter & Grandson, Chicago, IL

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

“Once all the villagers decided to pray for a desperately needed rain.  On the day of prayer, everyone gathered in the central square, but only one boy brought an umbrella.  That is confidence.

We plan big things for tomorrow, in spite of no knowledge of the future.  That is faith.

We see the world suffering, but still, we get married and we have children.  That is love.” --Unknown  

I believe every generation is challenged with extraordinary circumstances that can be paralyzing to some people and challenging to others.  Our parents were part of The Greatest Generation that defeated the Axis forces that sought to destroy our country and way of life in WWII.  My wife and I then grew up in a time when school children were taught to crawl under their desks or sit in hallways in the possible event of a nuclear war.  Two of the first atomic bombs had been dropped on Japan to end WWII.  We were taught that the world was rapidly approaching a climate change that would soon be irreversible.  We were told that the world population was multiplying at a rate that was unsustainable.  Zero Population Growth was the mantra of the day.  The United States had entered into a cold war with Russia.  Russia had launched a Sputnik satellite that circled the planet over our heads.  I still remember a morning news report about a man murdering his roommate in an argument over a pair of socks.

We processed all of this and held off having a child.  And then we reasoned that we should place our trust in our creator and the uncertain future as all previous generations had done. A Christmas 1982 message reminded us of another couple that made the right decision for all mankind in the midst of extraordinary circumstances.  And after all, we wouldn’t be here to even make the choice if our parents hadn’t done the same.  Nature terminated our first attempt because the extraordinary process of creating a human being had experienced a problem.  But we still persisted and were blessed with a bright and enthusiastic baby girl.  Almost four years ago she and her husband experienced a similar process but then were blessed with a bright and enthusiastic baby boy.  Loving people I know are now expecting babies in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

The depth and strength of the human spirit can be uplifting.  And the power and guidance of our creator can be the source of much confidence, faith and love for the future.  For the future belongs to those who believe in it and embrace it.