R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

"I love the word impossible because my God believes in adventure and extraordinary mountains, and He dares to be alive in a world crawling with terrible situations. He promises to be bigger than any impossibility because He is love ... and love always finds a way through, in time." Ann Kiemel in I Love the Word Impossible

It's 10 days before Christmas. The wrecking ball of divorce has come blasting into your life, and the holidays are part of the rubble you are trying to sift through to find some little piece of joy. I know you're thinking, "How can I celebrate anything? How can I sing about 'Joy to the World' when my world has fallen apart? How can I light the candles on the menorah when my world seems so dark? How can I tell stories of Kwanza when my story is not ending like I want?" I want you to know, I understand how your heart is aching. That first year after my divorce in October, I cried when I heard the music. I cried when I put up the decorations. I cried when I hung the stockings. I couldn't bring myself to send any cards. I was too sad and embarrassed; and honestly I felt like I was in a struggle to survive. But I did survive. And in looking back, I survived because I held on for dear life to the truth that God is bigger than any impossibility because He is love ... and love always finds a way. But I wanted Love to find a way to keep my marriage together. I wanted Love to find a way to save my family. I wanted Love to find a way for reconciliation. At the time I didn't understand that love was finding a way in spite of every single discouragement I was facing. I held on with all the strength I could muster up to that all-powerful love that God offered and to the healing he promised. And I said to myself (in my heart and with my mouth), "God, I am going to trust you in spite of how bleak it looks right now." Love, if you let it have full rein in your life and put it into practice yourself, works. I know all of this is so hard to believe in the middle of your divorce. But please take "impossible" out of your personal dictionary. Hang on and demonstrate love every single chance you get. In time, the impossible happens and you find yourself at the mountain top, and your life is full and joyful and complete again.

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26 (NIV)