We are not new to hard times.
We must not let the world tell us how our joy should look. Instead we must remember where we have found it time and time again, generation after generation. And, that we built it on our own, for ourselves, piece by piece.
We must remember kitchen tables and heavy laughter. We must remember gathering to celebrate and to mourn. We must remember smiling in spite of it all, and building masterpieces where nothing was given. We are not new to hard times, no matter how new they may look. We know them well enough to know that we are all we need to get through.
We are not unknown to dark places.
We must not let the world guide us into an artificial sunshine. Instead we must look deep within ourselves to find our own. Because wherever there is shadow there is light.
We have gently held fragile spirits at dusk. We have wiped tears through the midnight ours. We have fought internal battles, only to emerge into an external battlefield. However, that fragile spirit does not blow out. This love protects it from the wayward winds of this world. The tears will not be wasted. They water every harvest yet to come. The battles are not in vain. Our victory is a shine, pure and eternal. We are not unknown to dark places, but we dare to find our light here too.
We chose to gain strength from struggle and depth from darkness. And although we have known great sorrow, we have known great joy. And although we have held great shadows, we exude great light.
We have a long complex history. We are not new to hard times, and we are not unknown to dark places. Yet, we have a history of survival.
(A History of Survival comes from the chapter by the same name in the book “A Testimony of Grace)
Taylor Ruby's 