Ash falls from the sky again. Wildfires burn, and the sun glows an eerie red-orange. Temperatures soar in the triple digits, but it’s strangely humid, and I hear a hurricane is coming our way. With the moody skies and the strong winds, there’s an energy blowing about that fills me with excitement. Something is coming. Something is around the corner. I can feel it.
But by the time the hurricane comes to our region, it’s mellowed out to a quiet rainstorm. The tiny drops wet the ground but aren’t enough to satiate its thirst after too many months, even years, of drought.
The anticipation of something exciting peters out, and it’s back to the muggy state of things. And I feel it in my soul. Even though I know change takes time, even though I know it’s not guaranteed, even though I know there is goodness in slowness, I get antsy, restless. I become bored and lethargic.
From where I stand, I see a long road ahead, like a highway in the desert going to who knows where, and I get discouraged.
This is in relation to so many things in my life right now — in parenting, when I’ve tried and tried to teach my kids to be kind to each other and they continue to fight; in diversity, equity, and inclusion work, when it’s unclear if the goals will get us to where we need and want to be; in healing, when the layers of childhood wounds don’t seem to have an end; in art, when success (and what does success even mean?) feels rare and the path to it is vague and fuzzy – and will the effort, time, and commitment lead anywhere or result in anything?
I’m impatient for things to be completed, for change to happen, for signs of life, and though I don’t expect those things to happen overnight, my timeline for them is a lot shorter than is realistic.
We can wax poetic about the beauty of seasons, but when urgency rings incessantly in our faces and the message of our Western North American culture is to do everything right, right now, it’s hard to know how to embrace the organic pace of growth.
Anytime I feel stuck in these conundrums and questions of life, I try to think of how God might view things and discern the truth through Divine eyes. If we experience time as God sees it with the perspective of eternity, then the long road ahead that seems to lead nowhere isn’t something to escape but rather a path of grace. Grace to grow at the pace that is necessary and unique to each of us and our circumstances, grace to account for the mistakes and distractions we will face, grace to be patient when things seem to still and slow down or life takes a different turn.
And perhaps even the endless length of the road is a grace because when we’re with the One who loves us, urgency loses its power, and meaning is created out of love instead of productivity.
Seeing from this perspective settles my soul, and I breathe out the restless energy that’s pent up inside me. My fretting wanes and hope parts a way through discouragement to bolster me again.
On a recent drive from Southern California to Las Vegas, I marveled over how the once burnt hills of black shrubbery were now vibrant with life and how the desert landscape was greener than I had ever seen it before. I dangerously took picture after picture because I wanted to remember this miraculous view. The wildfires had burned years before and the desert had always been the same old brown, but as I drove down the long road, I witnessed what time and water had done. And it dawned on me, Yes, this is love. Love is patient. There is no hurry with Love.
What a perfectly timed post, Grace! My hubs & I were discussing the urgency on each of our work desks just before I began reading your post. God with us will give meaning to our day even if it’s one of those non-productive wheel-spinning days at our desks as it’s likely to be. May we have eyes to see & keep His perspective of productivity. Blessings!!!
I love that you were discussing this with your husband at your work desks! And amen to what you said!
Encouragement so desperately needed today!
Grateful to provide it today for you!
“Hope parts a way through discouragement . . .” (Grace Cho)
“Love is patient.”
I look forward to peaceful days, calm demeanors of family and friends and it makes me smile deeply within.
There seems to be so many variables to simple questions and too many factors to consider in order to get a simple, truthful understanding to life matters.
I yield my will to our Creator. My mind is limited but I serve an Infinite God. Pray on my Child is a song I heard growing up. I love knowing that maturity and time can strengthen a relationship.
Thank You Lord for teaching Your children Truth.
Enjoy your day Everyone.
Brenda
Your Sister in Christ
WOW! This is exactly what I needed today. Oh how I want peace instead of hurry. Love instead of productivity. Instead of trying to get it all done today and be “ahead of the game”, I want to enjoy the journey OF the game. 🙂 Thank you so much.
Yes to all this — enjoying the journey because of love.
“Grace to grow at the pace that is necessary and unique to each of us and our circumstances, grace to account for the mistakes and distractions we will face, grace to be patient when things seem to still and slow down or life takes a different turn.”
Amen!! Thank you, Grace! 🙂
“And perhaps even the endless length of the road is a grace because when we’re with the One who loves us, urgency loses its power, and meaning is created out of love instead of productivity.”
Hmm.. food for thought! Thank you again, Grace! 🙂
Big hugs to you, please be reminded that your labor is not in vain!!
Thanks, Bomi!
Thank you, Grace! No hurry. We have grace for the long road.
Amen!
This is so true. Need to rest in Him and not be consumes with not is going right. I suffer with anxiety and depression, and I want to feel better sooner rather than later. I know God knows what’s best, He knows all things, it’s just really hard in the waiting. I pray for all those who suffer and need to hear from Him and know we matter, and I know He cares. I like what the other comments say, it’s incouraging.
Yes, it’s hard to wait when we’re suffering. I hope you hear from my heart that God sees you in your anxiety and depression and enters into those places and times to be with you.
Love, not productivity, is the meaning-maker to life. Love is Life. Love makes real life-livers. And you just totally articulated for me the thoughts that hadn’t been given words yet – which is an answer to a prayer about why am I doing or not doing certain things in this season of life? Am I doing an activity because it’s loving and I can cheerfully give or for some other reason? Giving my thoughts words so I can intentionally think them is such a loving gift! Thank you, Grace. You are aptly named!
So so good to hear, Pearl!
Grace,
Society tells us to rush around, keep doing, achieve more. But God is asking us to embrace the slow, meticulous pace of growth. He doesn’t want or need us to be productive all the time. In fact He wants us to sit still with Him & savor this life. We/I must view life in terms of eternity. Where 1 day in Heaven is 1,000 years on Earth. God’s time table is not ours. Spending time with God makes urgency lose its power.
Blessings 🙂
Yes and amen!