Stagger Onward, Rejoicing

The Hutchinson News this week, an editorial mentioned something that Kelsey Grammer, an actor in several television shows, said about something he found in a poem when he was a youngster. Here is what he had to say. “'Stagger onward rejoicing.' That line came to me at age 15 in my little refuge, my bedroom, after my dad was murdered and my grandfather died. Eleven years later, I found the line in 'Atlantis,' a poem by W. H. Auden. He became my touchstone. I named our youngest child Auden.”

This is Jay again. Now, I don't normally quote actors in my posts, and I've really never watched (or wanted to watch) Mr. Grammer in any of his shows. I always felt like I got enough of real life in my real life, and besides, I had better things to do with my time. That's also, by the way, why I usually don't watch movies, either at a theater or on television.

But this quote from the poem by Auden gripped me somehow. “Stagger onward rejoicing.” So much of life seems to be in the staggering onward department. We do the best we can in life, making decisions as best we know how and pressing onward as best we can. But often, something gets in the way of our plans...sickness, financial reversal, job loss, death of a loved one, auto accident, or some other malady. And we often just seem to stagger onward in spite of the obstacles in our way. In reality, if we don't stagger onward, we cease to function, as there is but one way to go in life...and that's onward.

Just as remarkable is the “rejoicing” part. Especially for the Christian, rejoicing brings to mind an inner peace and joy that can't be fully understood, but can indeed be experienced. Even in the face of the most terrifying circumstances, we can indeed find rest, peace, and joy in the God of the Universe.

I don't know if you are staggering right now in your life or not. My guess is that there is something in your life that isn't like you'd like to have it. And my guess is that you just “stagger onward” at times. In those times, remember this quote, and add that word “rejoicing” to your thoughts. You just might be pleasantly surprised.