A Chance to Pause and Listen to 130-year old Voices

​If you emailed me this week, you would have received an automatic reply with the subject "My Inbox is Paused." It's a great feature on Gmail that allows you to pause all incoming email so even if you're tempted to check, it doesn't even appear in your inbox! Good for email junkies like me. 
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Jimmy and I took some time for just the two of us last weekend up in Ithaca where he graduated from Cornell 25 years ago. (The photo above is the spot where he asked me to marry him back in 2001.) It's been an intense season and we were grateful for the chance to "pause," walk a little more slowly, be present to each other more fully and reflect on the 25 years since Jimmy was a student here and the past 20 years we've been together. 

One evening we sat on this bench and watched the sun go down. It says, 

To those who shall sit here rejoicing, 
To those who shall sit here mourning, 
Sympathy and greeting:
So have we done in our time. 
1892

It took a moment for us to absorb the thoughtfulness of this message. Back in 1892, "A.D.W." and "H.M.W." knew that there would be many who would sit on this bench and instead of leaving some empty platitude or ode to themselves, they wanted to extend a message that connected us across time to say, we've been there too. In every age, human beings have struggled, been afraid, have grieved, faced uncertainty, held their joys, hopes and dreams in the midst of it all. 

It doesn't make it any easier or solve anything, but there was some comfort in being reminded of this as we sat there. God willing, we have another 25+ years ahead of us. But even in looking back over the short blip of our lives, in times of sorrow and struggle, God has been faithful. In times of rejoicing, God has been present. What has been true is still true today and will be true, for us, for our children, for our world, whatever the future holds. 

So whatever you may be going through, my prayer is that you can "pause" if even for the moment you're reading this and on this (metaphorical) bench, allow the witness of those who have gone before us and the God who is present to us now to comfort and carry you today. 

​Christine