Whispers of Eternity

"The grief that chanced a-yesterday has taught the soul to listen

For whispers of eternity in all the winds that pass."

--Katherine Lee Bates

True grief does teach the soul to listen.  Not long ago my hairdresser's beloved brother committed suicide.  It was absolutely devastating.  But the first time I got a haircut after this happened, my hairdresser was telling me all sorts of stories about things that had happened in the weeks since his brother's death, from an angry encounter on a street that turned into a hug with a total stranger (!) to seeing a shadow of a huge cross on his lawn where there had never been a shadow before....and all sorts of other stories in between. It was clear that his soul was listening for those whispers of eternity, and that he was receiving them.  What a gift!  I was so happy for him. He asked me if I'd ever experienced anything like that. 

Well, how much time do you have??

Yes.  After my mother's death at the age of 52 (I was 23) I was poured down with grace after grace for months and months.  I wasn't really a believer when she died--I'd been raised in the church, and was nominally Christian (after having dabbled in Buddhism in college), but considered myself wise and savvy and smart (having spent four years studying philosophy in college), and wise, savvy, smart, modern people clearly held religion at arms' length!  Her death stripped me of this and taught me to listen for those whispers of eternity.

It also happened after my miscarriage three summers ago.  (Here is one example.) My eyes were opened during that time to so many strange "coincidences" and so much grace. I felt that God had orchestrated every detail of it because He knew that I would be in so much pain. 

Grief can change the course of our lives, make us more open to seeing with our spiritual eyes instead of with these faulty human eyes. Our vision as humans is myopic.  But our spiritual vision changes the landscape completely. It teaches our souls to listen, and that is a blessing.