Friday, June 6, 2008

patience


so, I was in a bookstore last January, thumbing through the wall calendars, well, because it has to fit, it’s kind of a commitment. i’m going to spend 365 days looking at this thing so i wanted something that feels right, and sort of sets the tone for the year. and I found it in the art of Rodney White. not only do I love the aged, retro look, but the thing I dig most about his work is what he says.

see, like this one:

“Patience is knowing it will happen & giving it time to.”

… and you know, I would add:

“Patience is knowing it will happen, doing what I know I need to do, & giving it time to.”

because it’s true. i feel it. and i’m getting pretty good at recognizing truth, but not recognizing it just through feelings,.. it’s deeper than just through feelings. (which is an interesting topic to me…)

but patience….it’s what’s pushed me forward and through since 4:30pm Sept. 8 2005. and truthfully, I didn’t always “know it will happen”. sometimes…many times, i had to trust that part. trust in others who said they knew, trust in a God who knows past/future and every other direction. and trust the small part of me that hoped, but didn’t quite know.

i’m not sure which part is harder though, "doing what i know i need to do" … "or giving it time to". i do know that every time i move in the direction that truth dictates, (especially during the moments i’m getting whipped around on a rollercoaster of feelings) i get closer to knowing it will happen. and doing is essential. it really is. just..waiting is not patience. it really isn’t.

and "giving it time to" is not waiting. to me, it’s about not giving up. actually, it’s continuing to show up, every day, and at times, every single minute. i must show up in my life.

i’ve recently experienced loss on many levels and sometimes almost all at once. i’ve learned i can’t control the myriad of emotions that freely invade my head throughout the day, every day…but I can stop trying to, and recognize they are not truth. My constant doing what i know i should do, despite them, is what grounds me to the truth that ultimately leads me to knowing it will happen.

and then…sometimes, it does.

3 comments:

HopeSpringsATurtle said...

Well done, Musty (?) Showy(?) Uppie(?) Not sure what to call you...but a great first post nonetheless.

Patience is indeed a virtue and being in a series of tough emotional spots myself over the last few months, I can barely wait for providence to show up. I do keep putting one foot in front of the other in spite of how I'm feeling, but some days it is definitely not easy.

I love that you trust God without expecting God to do your footwork. I too know I'm required to do what is in front of me if I'm to expect a positive result. And sometimes it works, I get what I want. But all times, I get what I need even if the result is not what I want.

Sigh. The day is young and I'm off to put one foot in front of the other. Thanks for your inspiring post and good luck with your new blog

alex dumas said...

more, more, more

Anonymous said...

May I ask what happened on Sept.8, 2005? Do you feel comfortable sharing what your recent losses are?