Last year, one time when I called to talk with my sweet 89 year-old Jean, I asked her the difference between faith and trusting in God. Her reply? “Well, faith is something you put everything into.” She took what could be a complex topic and simplified it…just like that. Jean was a woman of faith. In those last 8 months many times when we spoke the dementia would take her away and it wasn’t always easy to communicate. But this day, this question, she knowingly replied. She knew.
When we would speak on the phone, all those 22 years, I would close with, “I love you Jean.” And she would say “I love you too honey.” Her smooth cadence; I know the pace of her words. When the dementia was close, she wasn’t able to always show she knew me and the ultimate tell was in her closing words. But even when she didn’t say those few words, at some level I believed she knew it was me. She knew. Just like when she surprised me at times with a clear reply like this one- “well, faith is something you put everything into.” Jean knew God. This is what I know.
Faith. What are you putting everything into?
Live. Breathe. Alive. blog- Here I write about lessons I am learning about life, love, and my spiritual journey to help others. Using the voice I have.