As y'all may have noticed, "Splendid Surprises" is now "Around the Round!" This spontaneous name change was actually not as spur of the moment as you may think. I had thought about changing the name of the blog for a while to something more appropriate. Trust me, I loved the alliteration that I had going on, but "Splendid Surprises" really had nothing to do with the content of my writing. Don't ask how I got the name in the first place, because I really don't remember.
I asked my dear friend Nathalie for her advice on the new title and she came up with the idea behind "Around the Round." For as long as I can remember, my house has been the "go-to" place for family and friend reunions. On any given night, there are bound to be people sitting at my kitchen table who do not actually live in my home. Throughout the past five years or so, I've noticed that many of the best conversations between friends and family were had at that same table. I came to the conclusion that round tables seem to facilitate easier conversation. While sitting at a rectangular table, it's fairly easy to avoid making eye contact with others. At a round table however, nothing goes unnoticed. The facial expressions and body language of those seated are blatantly exposed for the rest of the group to see. Although this may sound terrifying, it changes the dynamic of a conversation. The atmosphere goes from that of a business meeting to that of a family dinner.
My hope for this blog is that it be a place where none of my thoughts or emotions go unnoticed. This humble little corner of the internet is where my deepest ponderings become exposed, completely unfiltered and obviously transparent. Included with each post is my invitation for all of you to take a moment and join the discussion at my round table.
My last post (which I'm sorry to say was written almost a month ago) was comprised of my thoughts on the importance of guarding one's heart. I've spent a lot of time in prayer over this particular topic. As I mentioned previously, this is one area with which I have always struggled. God was definitely listening to my prayers and I'm fairly certain that He revealed a vital piece of information to me tonight.
Tonight at homecoming dinner (weekly gathering of college students from my home parish) my new friend Chris shared, "We are called to love until we feel empty. When we've given all of our own love, that's when God comes in. At that point, it is His love that is being shown through us." With all true love comes the risk of true heartache. It is through Him alone that we are able to continue to love another even after our human heart has been so badly bruised that it feels completely empty.
Sadly enough, the relationships we put the most love into are sometimes also the ones that leave our hearts feeling drained. In fact, I was listening to Fall Out Boy's latest album not too long ago and came across some lyrics that spoke about this same phenomenon, "Sometimes, before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger. The person you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger." There are moments in our relationships where the darkness can get pretty big. It is in those times where our hearts feel empty. But God never abandons us! We have the ability to overcome these moments of darkness. I'm sure you've either experienced this yourself or have witnessed it through someone else... Your heart feels completely empty and useless but you somehow manage to forgive and continue loving with the same amount (if not more) of joy and zeal as before. That is a miracle, my friends. It's a miracle performed by none other than the Holy Spirit.
I challenge all of you to welcome the Holy Spirit always, but especially in those moments where the darkness is big and your heart is empty. Our human love can only go so far, but God's love is never ending. He wants to refill us. Let Him.
