White Noise of Friendship

White Noise of Friendship:

a few nights ago, in the throes of anxiety, unable to lay down for more than a minute or two, I turned to social media for just a moment of distraction. This turned out to be a fortunate decision, not doom scrolling, but seeking the calm of familiar faces and friendships. I didn’t reach out to anyone, just scanned the areas that would put me at ease a bit.

Many miles away, in another country actually, a friend who knows my habits well realized that this was not my usual time to be online and immediately surmised that something might be wrong. She reached out to me.

As I explained my situation, lying back in bed to listen to her reply, a curious thing happened. The sound of friendship, kindness, and the empathy of someone who has suffered this as well began to fade into a kind of white noise. Her voice was calming, familiar as the background sounds of my home, and slowly the constriction of my breath, throat, and mind relaxed to the point that sleep became a possibility.

What my friend offered, knowingly, was presence, and she filled it with the constant reminder that she was real, softly caring, and that I could trust in her voice — not the content — to guide me home.

and it did.

white noise of friendship.

my friend appreciates A Course in Miracles, although she isn’t an avid student. She’s relatively new to its teachings. But she was open and available as an instrument of love, a vehicle for the Holy Spirit to reach me, and I don’t think either one of us doubted it.

A Course in Miracles is more than a book, not just a teaching for a select few to study. It’s a living expression of love, a moment-to-moment openness and surrender to the Voice for God within.

My friend knew just what to do to help me, and yet she would most likely be hard-pressed to explain exactly how.

she doesn’t have to.

and that’s really how we practice A Course in Miracles.

~

I love you, Eric