July 21

PATIENCE MONTH: DAY 21:

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.” ― Elisabeth Elliot

The greatest lessons are not learned, for me, by smooth sailing. Using that analogy even further, I am a much better sailor for having sailed through some high and stormy seas. That is when you learn to really rely on other crew members and their skills, along with your own.

I am not able to say that I could (or would!) sail solo anywhere, although I know a few folks who can and do. But the best sailing comes when your life is on the line.

That can be true, as well; of recovery, and of life. When we are deep in the trenches, fighting for survival, we are more engaged than when life is on cruise control. All the small, petty details of day-to-day existence fall away and the really IMPORTANT stuff is all we care about.

So, I think that there is a great deal of truth in this quote today. I really like it, because it also reminds me of the lovely 4 words at the end of “Into Action” … “Thy will be done.” Oh yeah!

I seldom pray for my will or desires any more. I just remind myself of what I would like to see and have and do and be. Then I do what is in front of me, and leave the rest of my life in the capable and totally acceptable hands of the Universal Power to whom I have entrusted those things.

See, I have to remind myself, but that Power has never once forgotten my little dreams and ideas. So many of them have come to me, sometimes many years later, when I have let them go. I forgot about them, since it does NO GOOD to nag that Power. Trust me, I have tried. All I did was miss out on other stuff that was even more miraculous than I could have dreamed. It was spoiled by my whining and nagging for what I thought I wanted.

What happens next is important; because it is the reason I am now willing to wait. That is, when the dream is realized, usually much further down the road than I thought it should be, I am very happy to see that many of the things that were necessary for the successful allowing of those dreams or desires would have NOT been available to me when I first began to contemplate those dreams and desires. So, then I get to see that ALL aspects of the miracles need to be taken into account for these things to manifest fully and perfectly.

As usual, I am shortchanging myself with my impatience and self-serving attitudes! Oh hell! So, it is best for me to allow this perfect spiritual meal to be prepared by loving hands that know what all the best ingredients really are, instead of settling for fast food. Oh yeah!

And then I know that the Universe is gifting me with what was truly meant to be mine all along, only I could not have held it or loved it or cherished it or even dealt with it properly 5 minutes before it came. That is true of EVERYTHING in my life today. Perfect timing is always there, even when I snivel and whine and try to stomp my feet and throw a tantrum. I really respect THAT Power!