I realized tonight, as I walked my dog on this ice cold, windy night that I am absolutely nothing without the many people who have believed in me. And today I am nothing more than those who continue to believe in me. And that includes my God.
My parents first believed in me because they first believed in God's goodness. Because of God, they believed in the goodness of humanity. From this, they believed in the goodness of the human person. And because of that, they took a chance on me. They took a chance that I might be good.
And they did all this despite the unfairness they saw in this world, despite its sadness, and despite the evil-doers in this world.
They believed in me without even knowing me. When they took this giant leap of faith to devote their entire lives to the belief that I might be good and worth their sacrifices, I was a mere cooing baby, full of the potential to be good, bad, or indifferent.
Their faith in me was, in many ways, a reflection of their faith in God. They taught me, loved me, fed me, clothed me, and did everything without the certainty of anything but in the name of HOPE.
And I am that person in whom their hope has been embodied. And you, dear reader, are the person in whom God's hope has been embodied!
I realized, more acutely tonight than ever before, that everything I have is from the generosity of others. None of this have I earned. Even the money I "earn" is because of the people that believed in me by giving me scholarships. Everything traces back to an origin that is NOT from me. My very life is not my own but instead a gift from God that has been lent to me for a while.
It's humbling when you realize your fragility, and when you realize that you can't take any credit for any of this. Everything I have (my happiness, my sorrow, my health, my possessions, my hopes, my dreams) are not my own. They never were and never will be.
Thank you, God, for giving me parents who believed in the goodness of humanity. And thank you, God, for this life you have loaned me.
