It seems that for some reason unknown and unrealized to me, I’ve never totally understood how to wholly, completely, and even sacrificially give toward this important intrinsic contract written and guaranteed within the bonds of love – to absolutely, unabandonedly, and without surrender, give genuine and full support and moral encouragement to either friend or family. But now, after a short few years have passed, a life lived with its requisite lesson has come around to remind me of some of the most beautiful, inspiring, and uplifting words ever spoken to me. Life it seems is presently demanding I return to those words and not look at them from the perspective of what they were meant to say and mean to me, instead, life wanted me to look at them from the heart of my friend Terpsichore, the person who so graciously and magnanimously wrote them to me.
Love it seems, can’t be a game of pretend we play with people. Love it seems, can’t be for us something of convenience and therefore easy for us. Love it seems, can’t cause us to look at ourselves and take care of only our needs. Love it seems, can’t just want all the good, fun, and beautiful the other has to offer us. Love it seems, should and of necessity be drawn to the other like concentric circles that never stray from their center of gravity. So, love was calling to me, asking me to examine my heart for any traces of her sublime contract, and my heart came up short.
Still, even while all my heart is lacking, I've held on to and kept Terpsichore's words so sweet and giving, that they eloquently and almost benevolently bequeathed to me all I needed to grasp and learn of love being so much more than a concept, even while it's most definitely been wanting within my hearts huge void.
Love requires action. Let’s repeat this – Love requires action. Love matters and love matters more than all the gold in this world. Not only does love matter more than all the gold in this world, but honest humility will help us understand it also matters more than all the gold in all the worlds in the whole of our universe. But it can only matter because love moves and does, not for itself, but it moves and does for the other. Said differently, love is fixated on whom it has its eye sat upon. To paraphrase the Christian author A. W. Tozer - Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, love is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While love is looking, we do not see ourselves - blessed riddance. - So, love moves and does for the other. The most obviously beautiful light-filled example of this is found in Jesus as He and He alone could do exactly what we've already mentioned. Forgetting himself, he wholly, completely, and sacrificially gave to others because he was forever committed to the intrinsic contract written and guaranteed within the bonds of love – to absolutely, unabandonedly, and without surrender, give genuine and full support and moral encouragement to any and all "others". That said, you and I are not Jesus, and a life lived is not simple nor is it simply understood.
When we look around us, life offers all of us lessons for a life lived where we can, if we apply ourselves to it, have an opportunity to find the better part of ourselves. This can even come in the form of a colorful, big bright lighted lesson of love's real and true meaning. Here's where I need to introduce you to my beloved Terpsichore. She's the Lighthouse I tell you Points of Light about in the Genesis portion of our blog. Terpsichore is such a beautiful name! In a very simple sense, this name fills my heart with happiness simply for the joy of saying – Terpsichore, lol. But also, because Terpsichore was the Greek muse of poetry and dance (including music). Now, as you Points of Light should know, the joy of words beautifully written and all the emotions that are expressed in music is all it takes to fill my heart with light, color, and beauty, which is for me, sincere happiness.
There was a time in the dark prison of my past when the bright light of Terpsichore’s love came to me. At the moment her light showed up, it was everything I needed to initially begin and start my trek out of and away from my nearly lifelong self-imposed torture. Her sweet encouraging words captured my mind and imagination and planted the seed I so desperately needed to begin looking at my life differently. But from the moment her words spoke to my heart, up until this very present now, I’ve only looked at them for what they meant to my life. But recently, I’ve gone back to her words to meditate on them more deeply. What, I thought, did they say about the beauty of Terpsichore's heart and why would her heart feel enough to speak them to me? As I ruminated more and more, I had to take everything they meant to me out of consideration and only think about the reason she might have for choosing such tender and light-filled words that would immediately begin the process to heal my self-terrorized heart. As I continued to think, I felt as though I was getting closer and closer to her heart's consideration. The closer I got to her heart; well, I began to feel a friend guided by mere compassion and motivated solely by love. Continuing to think, as I allowed every one of her individual words to flood my mind, I began feeling deeply about their thread of love that ran from one word into her next word and then from one sentence into her next sentence. Thinking more, I felt how each and every word spoke directly to her selflessness. I notice her forgetting all about herself and only wanting to reach out to move and do for the other. Finally, the power of all she had to say, say selflessly, overwhelmed me. I immediately succumbed to how Terpsichore’s warm beautiful light was another one of life’s lessons and how this will probably be one of the most beautiful lessons I’ll ever have an opportunity to learn.
Points of Light, I’ll have more to say about her words at a later time and place. For now, I want you to just read her words for yourself. Please keep in mind that if you yourself are in a difficult place, these words can also apply to you.
This is what my beloved Terpsichore said to me -
"I know you know it, but everyone is imperfect. And sadly, no one will ever be perfect. But I think it's important and admirable of you to strive to better yourself. And I also wanted to say, that as imperfect as you may be, there are people around you that see all the amazing things you have to offer, myself being one of them. You've always been a great friend to me, supportive and there to listen when I need to vent or needed advice. You're intelligent, you have a good sense of humor, and I always enjoyed our conversations together. I'm so proud of you for all the effort you have been putting in to looking inward and figuring out who you are. Most people don't have the guts to do that, it's truly impressive. It's seems like your faith has been an anchor for you throughout all this, and I encourage you to cling to that. I love you always and I miss you! And I would love to get together soon when you're free. I hope you have a wonderful evening, and hit me up soon!”
With a Brand New Love in my Heart,
and With Peace on my Mind,
Tod w/only one d
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