Two friends and I sat at supper tonight, enjoying more than food. Each time we’re together, we find more in common. Tonight I learned they’d lost a son, killed by a drunk driver. We agreed, after the death of one you love, pain eases but doesn’t go away. While sorrow softens, our faith toughens, helping us savor, not squander the remains of our days. Spending time with these two older and wiser friends left me encouraged, buoyed by joy deeper than sorrow.
Driving home, I pulled out a Fernando Ortega CD and sang along. Haven’t dared listen to him for awhile, takes me back to MGH and long nights of waiting and watching. But it’s Lent and a good time to sing Just As I Am and I Need Thee Every Hour.
It helped to sing, harmonize with Fernando and imagine Jud listening in.
The assignment for this week’s New Testament class sent me to Corinthians, reading again the famous passage on Love.
“Love never gives up…
Love trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.” ( from I Corinthians 13 in The Message)
I witnessed this keeping-on-kind-of-love in my friends tonight.
And so to sleep, pillowed in gratitude for friends and the Grace of Jesus that bids me come Just As I Am.
You,too.
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Thanks Jan. I am inspired by how you value and invest in friends.
Your friend and beneficiary, Dale
❤
Jan, I’m so glad I found your blog. Each post is like a brief visit with you – one to savor. Thank you for continuing to pour yourself out on behalf of others. We appreciate you more than we can express.
I love this….really needed to hear this….thank you for sharing.
Sing to the Lord a new song! Even the old songs are new when we sing to the Lord.
Thanks, Jan
This is beautiful and typically you–inclusive- enjoying new and old friends and being surprised by what you have in common.
And God brings each of you joy in the connecting of hearts through loss. And always you point us to the One whose love
you long to know more fully as the years go by. I love that you had the courage to go back to the comfort of Fernando’s
music–friends can help us in this. And your new friends did! How badly we fragile folks all need each other…
I am so grateful for you!!! I needed you to remind me of what Scripture says about love. Carl fell and broke his hip while in Rehab. Into surgery he went with the Anesthesiologist warning that they would do their very best, but with reservations about the outcome. Carl has wear and tear like any 80 year old. I prayed and read scripture, while my church family lovingly prayed for his successful surgery and also for me. On my way home, after learning he was doing so well and kissing him goodbye until tomorrow, I opened the windows and sang every praise song I could think of at the top of my voice. The traffic was horrible, but I didn’t even notice. My cup runneth over and I am so grateful to our Lord to have some more time with my beloved.
Beautiful. <3