Thankful - Day 19

My sister and some friends on Facebook are doing "Thirty Days of Thankful" for the month of November. Each day they are posting something in their lives for which they are grateful. I decided to do the same, but will write it here instead.

Day 19

Today I am grateful for my faith.  I am a Christian and a Catholic.  While I may not be as devout as others, I feel that my faith has been getting stronger in recent years.  I'm not sure if that is because we are raising our children in Catholic schools or because we live in a strong religious part of the country, or if I'm just growing spiritually.  But I feel a change, and it's a good one.

This morning I heard the song, "Wonder" by Natalie Merchant on the radio.  This song was released a month after my niece Brianna was born, and it has always made me think of her. 

 

Doctors have come from distant cities
Just to see me
Stand over my bed
Disbelieving what they're seeing
They say I must be one of the wonders
God's own creation
And as far as they can see they can offer
No explanation

 

Ooh, I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
She'll make her way

 

 

I loved this song.  When it was popular, all those years ago, it reflected what I felt about Brianna; that she was special and that there was greatness ahead of her in life. All those years I thought that "She'll make her way" meant that she would make it; that she would live and thrive and grow up to be an amazing woman.

Today when I heard the song, I still loved it.  But for the first time, I thought of Brianna as a child who was indeed "gifted with love, patience and faith".  She was so very loved and she was an old soul who loved life and loved God.  I realized that now I do have enough faith to believe that she is in a better place.  I do believe that she "made her way" to being with our God.  I had never thought of that song in that way before, and losing Brianna certainly did not do much to strengthen my faith seven years ago.  But I guess I made my way too.  Today, I am thankful for my faith.