Turning night into day: the power of renewal
8.20am, July 9th, 2009. That was the morning my life changed, when everything crashed down around me. It was the exact time my Auntie S called to tell me there’d been an incident, asking me to phone Dad’s friend who could explain what was going on. When I did, I knew straight away my Dad had passed. It didn’t seem fair - he was supposed to be coming for tea that night; the eve of my birthday. But now he would never visit again. Everyone has lost someone, or something. It’s part of life. Some people say it is life; a prelude, a test for greater things. Loss isn’t limited to the death of a loved one. It can be separation or divorce; financial, property or job loss; loss of health or control; so many things.
Whatever the circumstances it can be very hard to make sense of loss and to cope with the calamity that surrounds you in those times. I want you to know that it is possible to find a way through, to recover - and to renew. Why renewal is so relevant today. The world is in a period of turmoil and it’s a thick-skinned and lucky person who hasn’t experienced loss in these times, or be aware of someone who is suffering. I’m a great believer that hope springs eternal, and I’m also proof that you can find new beginnings - even from the depths of despair. Although I expected many people to be cut off from their spiritual side during lockdown as they battled to make ends meet, get through the day and simply exist, I ended up supporting hundreds of people. It was then that I began to link my own experiences to those of friends, acquaintances and people I was helping. For a long time after my Dad died I was in shock. As a family we spent years trying to uncover the truth about that day, even getting involved in a legal battle for reasons I won’t bother you with. Slowly but surely, my faith in spirit led me out of the darkness towards normality. That was my renewal. I want you to know that you can experience renewal, too.