Richard Joyner, or "Tricky" as we called him, was a good, kind man. He was a talented musician, singer, sound engineer, and friend. He was always helping others - he just lived his life that way. He helped me get my demo ready when I first moved to the NYC area, and he encouraged me greatly. He will always be remembered for his talent and kind heart.
The minister spoke about Tricky's character. She spoke about faith. The songs were beautiful, the memories shared by his family touching, the message inspirational. I can't possibly do the sermon justice here... but we were all reminded how truly special it is to be someone who likes to help others - as Tricky was. She talked about how we all leave this world eventually, when our sacred assignments here are complete, and how in times of sadness we need to keep praying. I thought that Tricky would probably want to comfort anyone who was sad, and that he wouldn't want us to stay that way. Of course there is a grieving process - especially for those experiencing the unexpected loss of someone close. Tricky would understand that. Of course he would do whatever he could to let his loved ones know that he is ok, and that he loves them dearly. Of course it's hard to believe that in your heart when you are hurting from the loss of his presence.
On Sunday, I went to mass. The message there was all about faith too. It was interesting how the two sermons echoed each other - even though they were different churches, different religions, with different stories and hundreds of miles away from each other. The priest told a story of a dog named Luna who was lost at sea and presumed dead after an extensive search. After five weeks, she turned up unharmed at a Naval base two miles from where she was last seen. Her owner was overjoyed, having not known all that time that she was alright. The fact that Luna was okay, even when she couldn't be seen, reminded me of how I felt at Tricky's service... that he was alright even though we could not see him.
The priest also spoke of helping others. The church has a program to help feed needy families. We were reminded that some families are in desperate need. One family had told the priest that despite having recently lost their home, that they would be okay and did not need groceries delivered. The priest had them delivered them anyway and they called him in tears, overwhelmed with gratitude that the children had nutritious cereal to eat that week.
We don't always see the whole picture. We don't have to. We just need to try to hold on to our faith. When we feel it slipping, we can ask for help. We can lean on others. Eventually, we'll get to a place of gratitude. We will get there. Eventually, we can turn our minds toward the Blessings that we have - and help others as best we can.
Prayers for all those in need... be it need of comfort, of a friend, of a kind ear to just listen, and for those in need of basic necessities. Prayers of gratitude for all that we do have, and for the strength and will to help others however we can.
"Help Me Believe" - Kirk Franklin:
Namaste,
T
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