Being in Ireland with my family was an experience I will always treasure. It wasn’t just about being on vacation, but we went back to the city where my Nane was born, in Cork.
We stood outside the home she was born in and we walked through the doorway she walked through in 1928, at the age of 16, with her father to take a boat to NY. This was the same doorway the last passengers who boarded the Titanic walked through as well.
In standing in these places, it made me rewind and put myself in my Nane’s shoes.
When I stood outside her home with our family, it made me see how one person’s life gives birth to so many others. I say this not only for me but to you too. Our life isn’t just what is before us, or about us, but for many of us, our life is a starting place for the generations that will follow.
When I stood at the doorway of the Star Line company with my family, picturing my Nane standing here, the same age ad Kate, with her father and their luggage, all I could think of was a quote I recently heard…
“Courage is fear that has said it’s prayers.”
And our Nane was courageous. Stepping away with her father from all she knew into the unknown was an act of courage. And one that was a stepping stone to meeting my grandfather in NY.
Walking in my Nane’s footsteps made me see how I long for comfort in life, but often it is getting out of our comfort zone where growth happens.
I share this with you today to encourage us too to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we make the time to look back and hear the stories of those who came before us. For so many it was not a life of ease and comfort but of trials and courage, of faith and hope. May we learn from the past and look forward with greater clarity to our days, and consider the question, “when future generations look back and learn our story, how will our story inspire them to live courageously?,” as my Nane’s life has inspired me to do.
With love and hope,
Shawn
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One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—and I will meditate on your wonderful works. - Psalm 145:4-5