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A storm arose from your heart,
A gale, so gentle, so demanding,
I could only call it Love,
But Love unlike any I had known,
So paled all other love before this Love,
like a candle flame before the Sun.
Some call it Grace.
I am Silent, and knew not such Affection
Until I could no longer speak, only rest, speechless,
Fashinated with your Beauty and Wonder.
I knew you,
When I knew looking at you eternally
Would be the consummate Happiness.
Now, every day, I lived stunned by your Light!
Your Face is the Sun that opens
The bud of my Heart to Life, every morning,
And awakens me at night, smiling!
*Brian K. Wilcox
Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
. . .
Love is in the air
In the whisper of the trees
Love is in the air
In the thunder of the sea
…
Love is in the air
In the rising of the sun
Love is in the air
When the day is nearly done
…
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes
*John Paul Young
A Prayerful Affirmation: What I Choose, Today
Richard Rohr, in Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, writes wisely, "Meaning is not created; it is discovered. It's already there. It's an enchanted universe; there is nothing new under the sun in terms of the soul. … Religion is always about love. All we can do is get out of the way."
I was born into a world where meaning, enchantment, and love are innate. I am called to discover the inherent meaning in each moment of my life; in this way, I can see that life itself, apart from what I do or fail to do, is significant. This is humbling, for it reminds me of both the significance of my life and the independence of reality from how I respond to it. The reality of meaning gives me an opportunity to have a meaningful life. The least noticeable things, persons I might be tempted to overlook, and the ordinary, sometimes boring, events of my daily life can take on a new color through my discovering in them meaning. This thought refreshes me: In this moment is meaning. That is a simple truth, but true, so true it can transform how I feel and how I live daily. Today, I choose meaning.
The idea of enchantment reminds me of the importance of keeping magic in life. I see some persons who seem never to lose the sparkle in their eyes, regardless of what occurs to or around them. Every moment, I am learning, has a depth of mystery and possibility that is largely unseen by me. If I take things less seriously and align my soul with the world as it is, then it will have unending fascination. I think that is what God wants me to have: fascination with life, people, things, … Certainly, I cannot fathom that Spirit would want my life to be dreary and boring. I realize that if I unconsciously buy into the values of a pragmatic, efficiency culture, I might easily lose this fascination. I know to be fascinated requires time to see, to reflect, and to appreciate. I must choose ways to be practical enough to survive in my culture; however, I must never forget that if I only survive, well, then, that is all I will experience. I can admit that if I am not fascinated with life and my own journey through it, then, I am blind to the beauty and mystery imbuing everything. Sometimes, I have to get my priorities back in order, reminding myself that life is too wonderful not to be experienced as wonderful. Today, I choose enchantment.
Then, love is so important. It is linked with meaning and enchantment. I realize that I have this love, even if it takes a lifetime to grow in knowing how to give it. Maybe the beginning of learning to love is just accepting that I am loving in my own way. I have to remind myself, also, that the love that I want to show is not the soft, unprincipled, and only-feely love that often is sung and written about. No, I find that as I become more loving, I become stronger, more courageous, and tougher. This does not mean that I am mean or lack gentleness, only that true love has strength and expectation. True love is not about my wanting to make everyone happy or about placing my own happiness above all other values. So, while wanting to be more loving, I may not be more likeable to some persons. To be more loving, I may have to disappoint some persons that I would rather not disappoint. But, regardless, I recall that some of the persons who have loved me best expected the most from me and were not satisfied with less than my best. I am grateful for those persons; I would not be where I am today without their true love. I hope and pray that at least a few persons will feel the same about me one day. Today, I choose love.
Today, I sat for a while with Mary. She is recovering from hip surgery, again. I sat and let myself relax in the chair. I listened to her. I read her favorite chapter from the Bible—Philippians 4; I would look up and see her face smiling, especially when I read her favorite verses on faith. I noticed how meaningful, enchanting, and loving was our sharing together. I prayed for her, my hand on her head, and sensed the Presence of God with us. I left admiring the feeling of fulfillment given to my life by those few moments. To me, those minutes with Mary affirm what Rohr says. And, like he notes, when it comes to love, I need simply to get out of the way. When I do, Love loves through me. I cannot take credit for what I felt today when visiting Mary, for it is simply the way true Life always is and always has been.
I am fortunate to be here, enjoying this journey of meaning, enchantment, and love. Yes! Meaning is in the air, everywhere. Enchantment is in the air, everywhere. Love is in the air, everywhere. And, to say I see that, everywhere, is not being crazy. Amen!
As you read the above narrative of affirmation, what spoke to your heart? Explain.
This devotional is given in memory and honor of a dear Christian and member of a congregation I served in Gainesville, FL. Shortely, after the first edition of this writing appeared in 2003, Mary Hayes died, after turning age one-hundred years. She was a blessing to many! ... and, to me, her pastor and friend. "Thank You, Mary."
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
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