A Word from Laura: Days of the Most Light

“Lift ev’ry voice and sing…” I imagine heavenly choirs singing as Juneteenth became a federal holiday yesterday, commemorating June 19, 1865, when newly liberated Black people in Galveston, TX received federal proclamation of their freedom. 

The proclamation came just before a weekend in our family that was already overbooked. We’re welcoming family to celebrate Ginny’s promotion from middle school, Will’s graduation from high school, Father’s Day, my own birthday-that-rhymes-with-nifty. It’s all exciting, but I had forgotten how crazy a calendar can get when you’re not worried about a pandemic.  

In a time when everyone uses the word “overwhelm” it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And when we feel overwhelmed, we miss the joy – the gift of celebrating big moments with the people God has given me to love! 

I realized as we sat down to dinner the other night that I needed just a little more time, not on my calendar, but for my prayer. Not the regular prayer before dinner, but the “God, there’s just so much, and in the midst of potential overwhelm we want to make sure we’re not forgetting you, your peace and your priorities” prayer. 

I don’t know if this was God’s answer, but I remembered that this Sunday, June 20 is also solstice, the Day of the Most Light. (Maybe, as a “More Light” church, Western should consider this a holy day!) The sun itself seems to slow down, to give us more time to remember and take notice of what is most important.   

This year, I’m giving thanks for the celebration of Juneteenth, for the liberation begun long ago – even before it was proclaimed officially – because it was God’s priority. I give thanks for my children and the challenges of education that so many overcame this year. I give thanks for fathers and father figures who demonstrate loyalty and the power of kindness we’ll talk more about on Sunday.   I give thanks for more light in our days and More Light Presbyterians in our church and world. I give thanks for life itself, for all of us making it this far. (That’s sort of how the prayer sounded.) 

You may be in the midst of some overwhelming circumstances yourself. May you also discover the sun slowing down during these days of the most light, making time for you to stay connected to God and to each other,

Laura