The Greatest of These

It's been a summer

of visiting or having
visitors

and always,

always ~

each stay teaches
me something
special.

Last weekend was

no exception.

One of my best

friends drove in

from Chicago, sans

husband and kids,

as she needed a

mini-break and

some time to simply

be a friend visiting

another friend for

a few days, setting

her other roles aside,

just for a while.

One {of the many}

things that I love

about Kathleen is

her faith.

She speaks as easily

about praying for

you as she does about

sending you a text

message.

And she refers to God

 so comfortably that

you might think He

is the neighbor 
next door.

From her lips, it

sounds so natural.

As someone who

did not grow up

speaking about my 

faith, I don't have her

frank, effortless way

of communicating

about it.

But, it's there.

I think a lot of people

interchange the words

hope and faith, but it

seems to me that they 
are two distinct 
things.

I hope it doesn't rain

on my wedding day ~

is not the same thing

as

I have faith that the sun

will rise on my wedding

day.

And

I hope my tulip bulbs

come up next spring ~

is not the same thing

as

I have faith that spring

will follow winter.

Faith, to me, is an inner

certainty, whether

it be that the sun will

rise, that my family will

always be there for me

or whether there is a

loving God.

Even if I don't 
say so,

out loud.

Two years ago, when

Kathleen and I were

on a trip together, she

received a diagnosis 

of breast cancer over 

the telephone.

Amazingly, words did

come, in response to

her shocking news,

from my mouth.

Words about one day
at a time, about medical 
advances, prayers and
 yes, 
about hope.

But mostly, my words

were about love and

how she would have

mine every step of 

the journey.

She taught me a lot

about faith that first

year, as she endured

the stress and the many

indignities that come

with such an illness.

Like the way that its 

enduring conviction 
can sustain and light a 
path for the soul, even in
 the darkest of times.

Her faith was a 
life boat on the 

stormiest of seas.

Now that Kath is once

again sailing through

calmer waters, I am

still learning so much

from my dear friend, as

she embraces this

beautiful life that she
will never take for 
granted.

And while love may,

indeed, be the greatest

of these, I have to think

that faith is a very

close

second.

But now faith, hope,

love, abide these three;

but the greatest of these

is love.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

With faith and love,

xo

Suzanne