I am still working out the kinks on this one. It is where I got hung up last time I tried to work on the manuscript. You may see several versions of this before we are done. But not right away. I may just plow through and come back to it after I get further along in the story.
*********************************************I am posting excerpts
from the manuscript of a book I am writing about my son's car accident -- almost six years ago, now --
and its aftermath. It is a labor of love, but also a very emotional
venture. I appreciate your feedback and encouragement.
*********************************************
Chapter Two
Getting There
Part One
Is this Car Moving?
I am no stranger to traveling. I have been all over the country by plane, train, bus, or car. My family, both growing up and after my marriage, moved a couple dozen times. During a certain move, I rode in a bus for days, with all my possessions in just two suitcases, not counting the guitar. I have even been halfway around the world, as I spent one summer studying and adventuring in Europe.
Still, this was the longest ride of my life. It seemed that the road hardly passed beneath the tires. Although it was a mere 40 miles away from Anderson, in the previous five years we made the trip to Joplin only a handful of times. Little did Honnah and I know how familiar this stretch of road would become.
There was only one way to cope with the endless journey. At a time like this, one has no idea what is coming next. The only resource to fall back on is the habits of faith and prayer that have been in place through one’s life. I don’t even want to imagine what torture it might be without some sort of belief that good can come from whatever happens in one’s life.
Our habits played out. Along that interminable leg Honnah and I found ourselves relying on an old friend. We prayed the Rosary. Repeating the well known prayers – taken from the Bible – provided background music, bringing a sense of grounding that was calming to our frazzled nerves. Far from being empty repetition, they accompany meditations on events in Jesus’ life. We know that our God was no stranger to the trials and tribulations with which we find ourselves confronted. Heartily entering into the meditations bears much fruit and brings much comfort for any situation in which we find ourselves. Further consolation comes from seeing these events through the eyes of the one who loved Him the most – his mother. Even those closest to Him on earth were not spared pain and sorrow for which they could see no rhyme or reason. We remember that another mother suffered trials and tragedy through what happened to her Son. In Mary, we have a model of faith and an empathetic ally through our difficulties.
The first five meditations, called the Joyful Mysteries, re-tell the incidents in Jesus’ early life that we find in the Bible, mostly in the Gospel of Luke. While each was indeed an occasion of joy, they were fraught with difficult circumstances as well. This line of thinking helped us to recall God’s merciful intervention in Arif’s younger days. Following these, we enter into the Sorrowful Mysteries. The stories span all four Gospels, informing us of the Lord’s Passion. On the one hand, we are reminded of His redemptive Love for each of us. Beyond that, we can join our suffering with His, to know that there is a higher purpose for even the most tragic of circumstances. Finally, we meditate on the glorious Mysteries, found in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles, as well as the Book of Revelation. The mysteries here, give us hope that this world of woe is not all there is. God has a plan and a desire that we spend all of eternity with Him in unending joy.
Our meditations on these mysteries range far and wide. It is amazing how many incidents crowd into the space of the decades – the cycles of prayers.
Comments (3)
I'm glad we have the mysteries. They focus on Christ, mostly.
I have been swamped but will get to reading the other installments this weekend!
How is the writing going this week?