I woke up this morning with hearing the saying, “After you’ve done all you can, you just stand.” After I heard that, I felt a peace wash over me. Some may or may not know, but I am an intercessor and I proudly stand in the gap for others who cannot pray for themselves. That is all of us some time.
In these days and times that feel very tense, and like we are having a battle between true and false, and light and dark–after we plead our case, it is time to stand. The world right now seems to be fueled by anger. There is a desperate need to stir up a hatred so palpable that if we succumb to this void, it will overtake us. There is a general belief that the truth rings true, and if it does, we don’t need to be cajoled within an inch of our life to receive it. However, there is nothing that we can do about the heaviness that exists. It is by design and has existed from the foundation of the world in an effort to steal your joy, faith, peace, and ultimately your hope. Anger robs us of the promise of happiness and cloaks our inner child with disbelief and agitation. Once this happens, we lack the ability to forgive. Forgiveness is a major conduit of change and transformational energy. It is of the highest vibration we lay hold of when we are able to forgive. When you forgive those who have wronged you, you are rewarded with a gift of youth and vitality because you have made your heavenly Father proud.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
It is not easy to forgive. This is I know. If it is easy intellectually, we know that healing takes time. But when I really feel stuck, I like to look at my children who sometimes fight like cats and dogs but they could never be apart from each other. Even though my daughter knows that her brother is going to say something mean or do something mean, it never kills her desire to love him. I lived like that for a long time. In many ways I still do. It’s only when my ego kicks in and I worry about looking like a fool or being mistreated do I go down the rabbit hole of hypotheticals and scenarios of what could be instead of what has typically been–God’s protection, grace, and favor over my life.
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” Luke 6:37
We often forget that everything is actually working in our favor. Every setback, every situation, and burden is strengthening our resolve to surrender. We know that sometimes forgiveness feels like a tall order, but that’s why Lamentations was written, every know and then we are going to complain. That’s ok. But, if you want to experience true freedom, true joy, then you must forgive. It has a way of lightening your spirit and allowing laughter to come in. When laughter comes in, you aren’t taking yourself so seriously. When you stop being so serious you can connect with your inner child and see the good in others. If you are guilty of wearing rose colored glasses, well, I’ m inclined to believe that you still made it out of your past situations ok.
Confession
I am a believer in going to confession. I go once a month and each time I go, I try to go deeper into identifying what my issues and faults are against others. Almost all of them are rooted in pride or unforgiveness and the absolution redirects me towards family time. We have to be thankful for our families. Everything that we are doing is about family. I am a big kid at heart so I play too much with my kids. I like to scare them or roll around my house chasing them. I like to dance and sing loud and laugh. All of these things keep me happy, youthful and young. It also shows my kids that there is a contrast to my seriousness and that I am learning and growing too. If you feel you need permission to enjoy yourself or be a kid at heart, take this as confirmation. Go do something you used to love to do. Get some friends together or go roller-skating. Whatever you do, enjoy your life. It is a gift.
From a young age, I have been dedicated to volunteering. I’ve always loved being active in my community and serving in small ways whenever I could. For me, serving is not just a way to give back but also way to discover new interests, meet new people, and show up for something greater than myself.
Thankfully I am not the only one. According to a recent study conducted by Volunteering and Civic Life in America, more than 51% of Americans informally helped their neighbors. Additionally, nearly 23% of Americans volunteered in formal organizations, clocking 4.1 billion hours with an economic value of $122.9 billion.
People don’t often give much attention to the value of service. But service is one of those mystical foundations of leadership that can supercharge your spirit and elevate your life. I always saw it as more than just delivering food boxes and leaving to spend time with my friends. It was a way to connect with people, hear their stories, and share a meal. You know the phrase “everybody’s got a story”? Well, after serving macaroni and cheese and turkey on Thanksgiving, you’d be pleasantly surprised by the candid conversations and stories shared by shelter residents around the dinner table. What makes these moments more meaningful is knowing that not only does everyone have a story, but more often than not, these stories are often interrelated. These stories which are a privilege to listen to at times are filled with the travails and triumphs of life and serve as a mirror to our own lives.
Life is challenging, and these stories remind me that it could be a moment of lapsed judgment, one accident, one relationship gone wrong, a death, addiction, or a loss of employment that can send a person spiraling. This is why I have committed my life to sharing my wisdom and spiritual foundation– we need this now more than ever. I understand that by consciously choosing to live a purpose-driven life every day, I believe that serving others has the power to open doors, eliminate poverty, and improve their quality of life. We should never underestimate the ability of the Divine to work through people as guardians and stewards of their fellow human beings. If you ever felt like you don’t have anything to give, or you don’t have money, kill that thought! You have the most priceless gift there is, YOU.
Photo by Boys in Bristol Photography on Pexels.com
Ironically in, Isaiah 55:1 God is calling all of us to depend on Him as the source:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
He is talking about bypassing these systems and holding fast to a currency that never fades. Serving is not only a cool thing to do, it’s part of our energetic design like the bees pollinating flowers. Human interaction is how we pay it forward in love.
So ask yourself this, how can you serve today?
Try starting with a smile. Buying someone a coffee. Pulling up your neighbor’s recycling. Or playing make-believe for 15 minutes with your kids.
I promise you it works. When you are done, drop me a message. I want to root for your success.
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Look closely at the image what do you see? This was one of my first collages in 2018 from an art therapy class when words had failed me after dealing with my daughter’s cancer and ultimately death. When I look back this small innocent collage said so much. This is the power of art as therapy. What you can’t see are the words from the cartoon of the family at the dinner table where the mom says,” I think I am going to get an apartment,” and the husband has kind of a non-response.
Thoughts:
Sometimes you crave a fresh start but feel tethered by those you love. It’s not easy. Life strips away illusions, yet gratitude can reignite hope. My strongest bonds were forged through struggle and loss. Grief felt like coming back from a war.
During my daughter’s cancer, I faced countless challenges that prepared me for her passing. Looking back through my journals, I saw that surrender was essential—not giving up on her but accepting what I couldn’t control. Releasing the need to save her let me truly support her and witness her light. During this time my writing reflected more of my inner battles than her treatments.
I thought keeping peace at home might keep her here, and blamed myself when she worsened, but her life had its own path. Cancer made us practical: I focused on creating normalcy, my then-husband on financial stability. Neither role was glamorous, both exhausting. At the time, I felt we should “uplift” each other more. Today I understand that it was the fight that drained us. It’s devasting to lose someone you love.
It is the fight that signifies the love and also a struggle I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Later I learned that it was love, not duty, that sustained us. Love shows up when quitting feels easier and it’s often found in simply being present. I quit drinking long before her death, knowing alcohol wouldn’t help. Faith and meditation gave me strength I never imagined. I told myself over and over: I will not die. I am loved.
Through loss, I learned love’s freedom. In her final year, my mission was clear: show up and love her. Love demands sacrifice—a truth we often avoid. Ask yourself: Who shows up for you? Time brings clarity. While making a small art piece, I saw life’s cycle and remembered to keep believing. Love endures, hopes, and acts boldly in uncertainty. Who do you love?
However, on the flip side of this knowing I could never fully love someone who loved the world more than their soul. I explored this concept in my story “A Time of War: Two Nations One Heart.” I guess I am just a person that looks to God for my validation and less from the people and things outside of me to tell me that I belong. So, when random people from state to state would ask me Chiara Luz, “Quienes tu familia?” now I know. I now know that all of my lack, my pain, my loss were ultimately things that I would survive whether I wanted to or not. Because I have done so and remain smiling, hopeful, and with my integrity intact I know what true love is. “Dios es Amor.”
Note: Make a collage. Write what matters. Stay open. Don’t judge yourself. See what emerges. Revisit it often.
