Superheroes and Saints

-
Photo Art: 2019 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas

“Who needs superheroes when you have a brother.”

In this life, we each have something to learn and something to teach. I believe this. One of the great teachers of my lifetime, my younger brother, Barry, was also one of the greatest superheroes I have ever met. As a lifelong student, Barry, struggled at times, but never gave up. Once he learned a lesson, he shared it with everyone...and I mean everyone! (which is how he became an amazing teacher...no degree...simply a naturally born teacher)

His elevation to superhero came after his struggle with liver failure five years ago. After a liver transplant from one of his best friends, (who was a closer match than Barry's male relatives) he dedicated his life to giving back to others and helping as many people as he could. 

This week, he joined the Saints when his battle with cancer came to an end.  The following are lessons, our Barry taught with great abandon!

  • Life gives you choices. Take the road that leads to helping others. This is the road that will fill your heart and soul up the most. (Barry, even in his toughest moments, had time to help others. He was a member of Team Rubicon and several other service organizations.)
  • Life often gives you second chances. Don't waste yours. (Barry had several second chances and with each he became more determined to give back and to do better.)

  • Don't hold grudges.  (Direct quote, "Grudges are worse than cancer. Get over it, forgive and love each other.")

  • Tell those you love them, that they mean the world to you. (Life is way too short not to let those we love know how much they mean to us. Barry shared his love with everyone, daily.)
  • Always have time for children...always. (Kids loved Barry. They would make him special gifts, sit and listen to him explain things and simply climb up on his lap to rest. He never ignored them.)
  • Be kind to animals, plant a tree, feed the birds. (Barry was Father Nature. Animals that feared humans never were afraid of Barry. He loved his dogs and cats. He had an affinity for hummingbirds, bugs and horses. One of his favorite places to go was to visit the retired draft horses at the Blue Star Equiculture Draft Horse Sanctuary.)

  • Finally, be the embodiment of Love. (Barry, in his last days, was full of love and gave love in abundance, sharing his admiration for people in his life with them by meeting them or calling them.)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Whispers

-
Image
Photo Credit: (c) 2018 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas When I was, as my mother would say, a wee sprout, I had my first experience with hearing that soft whisper that has warned me, inspired me, and on occasion, nagged me. Perhaps because I was raised in a household where being "fey" was looked at as normal, I never questioned that this was not real.  I can't tell you what the first thing I "heard" was, but I do remember talking to my mother about it when I was about six years old. We had had a lesson in school where sister had told the class about a saint who heard "the whispers of the angels." I asked Momma if that was who was speaking to me.  I still remember her looking very seriously into my eyes and saying, "Lindy, it might be angels, it might be what artists call the muse, or it might be what some people call, 'the voice of your ancestors or guides.' I don't know, but I do know you need to listen and pay attention to what you he
Read more

Bible Sisters

-
Image
As a child, Bible stories fascinated me. I tried to imagine what it was like to live in times so long ago. Rarely, however, did I ever see any connection to what happened in ancient times with what was happening in my life. After all, my world was close to 2000 years older and far from the lands of Pharaohs and Roman invaders.  As I grew, I learned to see the lessons within Scripture. But, again, I found it difficult to connect to these men who battled giants or spoke eloquent words in the Temple. The only women I remember mentioned were few and far between. How I wished there was more for a woman to connect with in the Bible. A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of receiving a copy of Bible Sisters by Rev. Gennifer Benjamin Brooks in the mail. Bible Sisters is a 365-day devotional that includes the well-known women of the Bible (Eve, Sarah, Ruth, Rebecca, Mary, Martha...) as well as those we know little about and who often go unnamed like Hagar or the Widow of Zarephath.
Read more

Review of Gypsy for God by Yvonne Morgan

-
Image
  Ivonne Morgan has crafted an inspiring tale of how a woman blessed with the ability to recreate herself after retirement finds, through a series of epiphanies, the work she has always felt she was born to do.  Gypsy for God is a work of love and faith. This book looks at the dichotomy between privilege, poverty, disease and the horrors of human trafficking.  Kathleen, the protagonist of the book, not only has to come to grips with her own self-doubts and biases, but she also has to deal with a husband who has trouble seeing through her eyes. However, through deep faith and support, she realizes the path she is to follow as she travels the world, visiting various countries that often take her out of her comfort zone, which in turn opens her eyes and heart to the work she is called to do.  Gypsy for God is about asking ourselves those difficult questions and then listening with an open mind and heart to the answers.  I recommend this book, especially for women who are retiring or st
Read more