This past weekend the fated time arrived for a beloved friend of mine to move to the other side of the country. Her developing dementia led to a decision for her to be near where her adult children live. So a farewell party was given at which the vast array and number of her friends, colleagues, and former students could say goodbye. I looked around the large space filled with people coming and going, each one’s relationship with Mary holding its own story, a history of fondness, appreciation, and respect for this talented and lively woman whose contagious, rollicking laughter could shake shingles off a roof. She has been a joy for me in the retreats we teamed and the travels we shared. It was not surprising, then, that this goodbye engendered sadness and a reluctance to bid farewell.
After I returned home from the gathering, I felt drawn to listen to a song that arrived unexpectedly as a gift the day before. I had not known Dougie MacLean’s music but when I listened to his song “This Love Will Carry,” I felt a feathery turning toward acceptance and equanimity. The more I heard the refrain, “This love will carry me. I know this love will carry me,” the more the sadness softened. I recalled the confidence found in the Letter to the Corinthians that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (3:7)
In the space of one song I experienced a resonance with Mystery, a belief that no matter what happens, a strong and enduring love will provide for what the heart needs. Was my receiving of this gift merely a coincidence? A synchronicity? Or “a God-incidence” (as termed by a friend)? I do not know, but whatever designation I give to unexpected moments that restore inner peace and bring greater clarity to the meaning of life, they provide assurance that I am not alone. An invisible Presence stirs inside of what seems quite ordinary. This hidden Guidance moves my attention toward what uplifts and consoles. In spite of how dismal or daunting life may appear, I am led to trust there’s much more than what is perceived by the naked eye and the rational mind.
The following lines are in one of the verses of This Love Will Carry:
These days are golden, they must not waste away.
Our time is like that flower and soon it will decay.
This message cautions to not waste time on trifles that only serve to distract from love. We are to give our utmost to a love that is lasting, strong, and enduring. When we do this, love that counts will carry us through even the thickest layers of grief and the emptiest cauldron of loss.
Enduring love is an energy, a movement of the heart, a resonance filled with vibrations. Love doesn’t stand still. Love travels outwardly and inwardly. This month, search your heart, search your life, for where love resides. Who and what do you value most? Look closely, clearly. How do you allow this love to carry you?
Abundant peace,
~ Joyce Rupp
