A close friend has been away for some time. Circumstances, painful and sudden, meant that he has not been home for a time that can now be measured in weeks and months. It is hard to appreciate all that is going on in his life without our periodic check-in meal and hanging out. I have a sense of the big things. The void and awareness sustains an awareness of a presence that is always lingering close by. It prompts me to remain longer in meditation, reaching out to Divinity with meditation thanksgiving and whispers of petition. In the process, I find myself reflecting on the gifts of wisdom and actions taken on my behalf.
There are two distinct areas that are less full in the absence. One area comes from how a friend brings observations, questions, and reminders about the steps in my journey. Through another’s eyes, I hear the story, discover what things really look like in the mirror, and hear the challenge to reach for my aspirations and calling. The other is the action taken for me. It is hard to describe other than to knowledge that I miss having someone covering my heart, protecting my inner self.
Coverage that protects one’s heart is something I do not often think about. Life reminds me that it is best found in another’s gift. I realize that Divinity offers me coverage. David said it well; God “made heads roll, split the skulls of the enemy as he marched out of heaven.” (Psalm 68.21) God is on our side! Several close to me offer coverage as well. It is a divine gift that we do not deserve and cannot earn
I hope we see each other again soon. As much as I miss the gifts of friendship, I also carry the hope that I can tangibly offer the same. The longing and need to act is not because I think he deserves it, although he probably does. I will act because I hear a divine call to be god-like. It is a calling worthy of our best.
