The world watched in awe as the miners were brought safely to the surface. After so many days of being trapped so many feet underground, they were reunited with their loved ones, it was beautiful to watch. To quote president Sebastian Pinera the miners 'experienced a rebirth.'
The most wonderful thing that came to mind as I watched rescue after rescue, was how everyone was there for each other, supporting each other, demonstrating genuine emotions. I was linked into a live feed that allowed me to witness several of the miners being rescued. As I watched this live feed I was impressed by the number of folks who were also streaming the news live. News broadcasts on TV said that billions of people were watching world wide.
President Pinera stated that these days and events united the Chilean people, and that the miners were sustained by 'strength, faith and hope.' The courage of a small country was tested once again.
It is amazing how through adversity, we can find strength, we rely on our faith, and we hold onto the hope. These three components are what made the difference in those 33 miners lives, they held out for rescue, and did all they could to survive. Their fortitude and the constant reassurance they received from family, friends, coworkers, and so many others, who sent messages and kept lines of communication open, made a world of difference for those men. Not only did they not give up hope, but neither did the nation.
When we look to our own lives, and we take stock of everything we have gone through, we will always find that some how we survived, we made it and we are the better for it. For so many of you, who are dealing with the death of a loved one, a divorce, loss of employment, or any other significant upheaval in your life, you may find it hard to hope. Some days you do not have the strength to get up, let alone go on. Faith can ebb like the tide, strong and sustaining one minute, and leaving us full of doubt the next.
But yet we persevere, we hold on to the last strand of hope, and we somehow get through it. We, like the miners are in the dark for days, weeks, months and sometimes even years after a personal tragedy. We wait for a glimmer of hope to shine through our darkness. Then it happens, we begin to see a tiny spark, a ray of hope, and we begin to believe that we will be okay.
We get thrown a life-line, we begin to find our way. We realize that we have had so many people praying for us, ready to help us, and there always providing support, even when we didn't notice it. And then there it is, the sunlight, we have made it, we can now begin to live again, to enjoy a 'rebirth' of sorts, we start to enjoy life and all it offers again.
As I watched some of the miner's reactions upon arriving at the surface, I realized that they knew they had received a second chance, that they were grateful was more than obvious, but it was joy of life, of being alive that truly struck me. These men fully understood that this entire situation could have had many different endings. Will their lives ever be the same? I am sure somewhere down the road, we will hear about these men again, and their heroic struggle to survive and live.
So many events in our lives, could have ended in different ways, but unfortunately we can not effect the outcomes of what often occurs in our life, no more than I could have stopped my daughter from driving that fateful night. We hold out for the last bit of hope, allow our faith to guide us and somehow we muster the strength to keep on going. We open our eyes slowly to get accustomed to our surroundings, and we begin to live again.
May today's example of courage, hope, and perseverance, serve as a reminder to all of us who are trying to cope, to understand why something has happened, to find our way through the doubt and uncertainty, that we are not alone. Like the thousands of people who cheered on the miners, the rescue workers and the families, you too have a support system. These are your family, friends and even strangers who are there for you, who help you along your journey, who give you a hand when it is least expected. These are people who care and love us, and want to see us doing okay.
Allow yourself to feel the support, the love and the compassion. As I watched the rescuers being brought back up to the surface, I was struck by the image of the tunnel. As the capsule continued it's ascent to the surface, those waiting on the surface would look into the tunnel, searching for the light, calling out to their comrade until he responded. When they finally spotted the light coming up the shaft, you could see the relief on all their faces, and they knew that all would be well.
So look for the light at the end of your tunnel, and know that there is always hope. Feel the love that surrounds, and let love be your light.
Blessings! and until we meet again.
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