R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts for R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Women
"There is nothing stable in the world – uproar’s your only music."
John Keats
Uproar is a good description of a midlife divorce and the recovery following. But reading the quote by Keats made me re-think uproar. As music? Can we ever really see life’s uproar as music? Can we ever see the uproar caused by divorce as music? What did Keats mean? The divorce happened. We can be crushed by it, or we can see it as a part of life that has to be faced and learned from and used to create a better, more rich and full life. A midlife divorce causes drama big time. Real drama. Real upheaval. Real despair and devastation. But when it’s over and there is not one thing we can do about it, we need to change how we view it. We must grieve it fully and not try to pretend it’s not a big deal. But is there any possible way we can begin to see the uproar as the basis of composing a new score for our new life story? One thing I disagree with Keats about is that in my experience, there is something stable in the world. But only one thing. God. The love of God who chose to come to earth and to send his Spirit to live within us is the one stable thing in all the universe. Everything else is truly unstable compared to that. And when we learn to put our hope and trust and life in the care and control of that one unchanging constant, the instability of everything is easier to handle. Our wasband did not keep his promises. But God ALWAYS does. Our wasband created despair. God always guides us to peace and joy and love. God makes our life (with our consent) an uproarious, celebration song of victory. Through absolutely anything and everything. I want to get to the point where the amazing song of God’s goodness is the only song I hear even in the midst of life’s greatest challenges. Then he will give me joyful songs of my own to sing so those in my world will also hear.
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126:6
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Psalm 126:2
"For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands." Psalm 92:4
