A Cloud of Witnesses

It has been 14 years since my mother passed away, and 10 years since my father has been gone, but their presence and spirit are still so strong in my life.
This week, one of my friends lost her father; how do I explain to her that even though their physical bodies are gone, and their spirits have gone to heaven, that they are still very much "here" with us.
There is hardly, if ever, a day that goes by that I do not remember, in some big or small way, my mom and/or my dad. Often they appear in my dreams in very normal ways. During my waking hours they are part of my thoughts many times. Pictures, recipes, memories, comments, stories, keepsakes and many other things trigger my remembrance of them.
Just last week my husband told me, "I'm going to try to be more like your dad... to live at peace with others as much as possible." (Romans 12:18) A decade after my father has physically left this earth, his life and character are still influencing us.
Perhaps the older I get, the more I am becoming like them, and thinking about them.
And perhaps that's what Paul meant when he said, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Courage

I just returned from a visit with my sister and brother-in-law; my brother-in-law found out some months ago that he has ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease).
As I observed them this week in their home, I observed courage. Their willingness to talk about his health honestly, to find hope while facing an unsure future, and to remain interested in family and world events in the face of huge changes and challenges in their lives is a demonstration to me of the purest kind of courage.
As I pray daily for courage, for strength, for faith, and for encouragement for them, it reminds me to build that courage and faith in my own life.