The world famous soprano Beverly Sills once told this story about herself.

One day she received a phone call from a close friend, relating that the friend’s father had died; and Beverly had promised years earlier to sing at his funeral. “I’m sorry, she answered her friend, I am booked a year in advance. I have to have more than a year’s notice.” Her friend was gracious, and said, “I understand,” but when Beverly hung up she felt uncomfortable, and finally, reflecting on her friendship, she had a “eureka” moment, and realized what she had said. She quickly made some schedule changes and called her friend back to say that she would gladly sing at the funeral.

Later, Beverly Sills confessed that she had surprised herself that she could be so immersed in her career that she forgot her own humanity, even for a moment: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . so grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5: 8 &21)

The gracious spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, works in us to remind us of the One to whom we belong. He can do this when we have committed ourselves to that One: “When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what he hears, and He will . . . glorify me (Jesus) because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.” ( John 16:13-15)

The world of ordinary life, of keeping appointments, working, managing a household, and adjusting to technologies, does not wait on the Holy Spirit of God. When Beverly Sills first responded to her friend, she was thinking of all of the ordinary perameters of her life, but when she listened to the “inner voice” that reminded her of a different relationship, she knew exactly what to do.

Accessing the “different relationship” is made possible only through God, who has given us Jesus to make that access possible. The love of Beverly Sill’s friend, recalled by the Spirit of God to Beverly, was all she needed to make the second call. As one of Jesus’ closest friends wrote, from the same source that we can all tap, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Jewish Beverly Sills was one of those.

Love in Him,

Prue