February 5, 2012

I read Snow Angel by Glenn Beck over the last couple of days and was touched beyond belief to find a story of life that closely matched what I believe was meant by a definition of life; namely, that life is eighty years of survival, intermingled with fifteen minutes of stark terror. I have seen so many beautiful people live this quiet life of desperation that when I saw the plausible resolution this novel brought into the lives of the actors in this drama my day was complete. No, they didn’t live happily ever after, but they did confront the monster in the room and move forward in achieving their destiny.

One of the characters in the cast was a husband and father that regularly pounded on his wife. He did this physically and verbally. After I got into the book and realized that this character was brash, egotistical, hurtful and duplicitous, I came in and asked Jean if I did things to hurt her as this fellow did in the book. Being the kind wonderful sweetheart she is, she simply said no. Thinking back over a life-time of incidents, I cringe to think of some of the things I have said that have hurt my bride. Little things that have no particular meaning beyond the moment were stretched into drama that should never have blossomed into arguments. My blessed mother lived through some of the most spirit wrenching experiences known to man. She was orphaned, tortured, married to a man so that he wouldn’t have to go back to prison, and yet she remained solid as a rock in her dedication to God, love of her family, and  serving others all her 93 years.

I have been blessed way beyond my capacity to understand. What I ask of each of you is that you look deeply into the eyes of eternity and see the vision of the tree of life. Realize that the tree of life is the love of God and that He wants each of us to follow the law and the prophets. The Ten Commands were given because we as humans are weak. In Christ’s teachings we learn that we need to love God, love our fellowmen, and (the most denied) love ourselves. He also notes that on these fall the commandments of old. If you look each of the Ten Commandments refer to either loving God, or loving each other. We cannot love each in the special way God asks of us if we belittle, demean, deride, conflict, overlord, or do anything other than hold our spouse, our children, and the rest of our posterity high above the fray.

Snow Angel actors found their own routes to peace. We must each find our own personal route to following the commandments. We must each love God, love our fellow beings, and yes love ourselves enough to find and follow paths that will lead us to quiet the monsters within and without us. There is a fancy term, Self-Actualization, which in my never to be humble understanding, means that when we have done all that we can to serve and all that we can to be forgiven for our trespasses, we will know and find great joy and peace in God’s kingdom.

God bless you as you search out your inner strengths, call on God, and do those things which you need to do to return to the presence of God tied eternally with your loved ones.

D. Duane Jacobs, Grampa, father, uncle, cousin, and friend