Seek Other Shores

There are Sisters of the Holy Redeemer visiting our provincilate from Tanzania and Germany for meetings this week and last week. Most evenings last week I attended the evening prayer there, so that I could be with our sisters before I go away.  Last week, at one such evening prayer, when we began to sing an opening hymn, the fact that I was leaving suddenly felt real.  The song we sang was "Lord You Have Come to the Seashore." This song has had a lot of meaning for me ever since my first year in Redeemer Ministry Corps (our volunteer program lay,) when it was sort of a theme song during orientation.  At that time the words that resonated most with me were "Lord You Have Come to the Seashore" probably because  I grew up by the ocean.  Since then it has had a lot of meaning for me, and was sung during liturgy on occasions such as  when I entered, made first and final vows.  During my retreat last month I repeatedly sang the song to myself and to my God as I walked along the beach.  Now the words "at your side I will seek other shores" feel more real than ever; the words, "Be the resting Place of my restless heart" touch a cord as well.

I happened to tell the person who choose the song that it touched me and disclosed that I cried a few tears  during that evening prayer. The same person chose the music for Sunday liturgy and decided to play it again.  I mentioned to my local community that it had touched me during Tuesday evening prayer, and that I believed that the sister intentionally chose it again on Sunday, knowing that doing so could possibly lead me to cry.  That evening we when we prayed in our local community, the sister leading vespers decided that we would sing "Lord You Have Come to the Seashore" in Spanish.  So, we did, but not very well, (so not well that I did not cry, because I was trying not to laugh.)   

Yesterday morning, I brought the car that I drove, and some of my belongings to be stored to the provincilate. The sisters in the international meetings took a break to say good-bye and participate in our province farewell ritual of standing on the steps waving tissues at the car containing the person going on a trip, while the car circles the parking lot.  The presence of sisters from Tanzania and Germany really gave me a sense that I am being sent not only by our American Province but by the entire congregation.  As we circled the parkinglot the sisters sang (in English):
"Lord You have come to the seashore, seeking neither the rich nor the wise, desiring only that I shall follow, oh Lord with your eyes set upon me, gently smiling you have spoken my name, all I long for I have found by the water, at your side I will seek other shores."