Ten years ago I was part of a medical mission to the city of Xining in the province of Qinghai China. During one of our down times I was able to visit Ta’er monastery home of the Gelugpa Sect of Buddhist monks or what are some times called Yellow hats because of their distinctive head covering.

This place is amazing! It has 9,300 rooms and 52 halls with over 400 monks now in attendance. Was a privilege to see, to walk among the statues, gaze at Tibetan art work and marvel at how time almost stands still in such a place of devotion. While there I was gifted a singing bowl by one of the monks and he demonstrated its use. He was able to produce an exquisite tone from the bowl as he chanted. We laughed together when I too gave it a shot. All that came from it was…thunk.

But I stayed with it and years later I am now able to get the bowl to sing. As I run the hammer around the edge a mesmerizing tone wells up and up and up complementing my times of prayer and contemplation. Each time I handle the bowl and prepare to start the process I’m reminded of Julian of Norwich from the fourteenth century who wrote, “The worst has already happened and been repaired…All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

I do not know what you are experiencing today. Joy, sadness, struggle, boredom, or  happiness. But I do know that you do not walk alone you have brothers and sisters in belief. You have our God walking with you through this life. Because of that “All shall be well!”

By the way Happy New Year! Qing jieshou wo jieri de zhuhe (Forgive my typing but my computer doesn’t have the correct punctuation).