SLOW AND STEADY: IT'S NOT A RACE!

SLOW GO.........

Slow and steady! It started at Christmas via a kind and generous horticulturist neighbor. 

A gift that keeps on giving....creation from the Creator.

Maturity can take a while.

Enjoy the experience.

VALENTINE'S DAY. WORTH THE WAIT!

tenDANCE---NEW WORD, NEW DANCE

Tendance is a word in and of itself. Who knew? Not I.

At least not until this morning.

 Here's what I found---

Definitions of tendance

n. - The act of attending or waiting; attendance. ²
n. - Persons in attendance; attendants.

Waiting jumped off the page and into my psyche. Visions of a "waiting room" loomed.

No one was dancing for sure as waiting is difficult even if it's God's waiting room. For us, this week has had people "waiting" with us. Prayerfully in "attendance" from coast to coast and across the "big pond, " they call and text and encourage.

Sarah Young's reminder in Jesus Always March 4 entry was so timely!!!

• Blessed are his who wait for the Lord. (Isaiah 30:18)
• Waiting patiently does not come easily but can be good for us.
• Those who obediently wait can build up equity for not-yet blessings.
• The waiting process can be beneficial. 
• Waiting keeps your "soul on tiptoes" as you look up to Me in hope! (emphasis mine)
• Acknowledge the One who is in control and rest in His goodness.

May all of us in this "adoption" waiting room put on our "dancing" shoes and allow Him to lead us in our tenDANCE that we might glorify Him as we wait!

WAITING: A TEST OF PATIENCE

What do we do while we're waiting is a question asked in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot?"

 

While Bernie and I were "waiting" for the 2nd act to begin......the word absurd came to my mind.
Yet, I was intrigued by the premise of this play. Silence was prevalent.
The pauses were long and l-o-n-g-e-r.
For an impatient-type gal it was an eye-opener. There was a depth of understanding that one could only glean through the silences.
Silence can tend to make extroverts uncomfortable. But....words are not always the answer.

Even scripture "speaks" to this conundrum, even speaking to the futility of many words.(Ecclesiastes 6:11) "....but he who restrains his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) Is there no limit to "windy" words? (Job 16:3)
Often, too much empty prattle robs the true listeners of understanding especially in the quietness of a theater.

One can only imagine how much loquacious folks "miss" by filling every moment of silence with chatter. ( I know.....I'm typing to the choir here!)

WAITING---I'M NOT A FAN!

My One Word for 2017 was "choose." I definitely would not "choose" waiting.

But....sometimes we don't have a choice. Life chooses for us.

Pic to come later----I hope! Blog says cannot upload!

ARG-G-G--more waiting! Finally, 3 hrs later!

Grateful for Jeremiah 17:14 verse from brother, Bobby for my hubby.

Actually we need a lot of Isaiah 40:31"waiting" over here---to gain strength and not grow weary as we begin 2018, not as we would have chosen.

Mother would have served us a double portion of black-eyed peas!

DANCE TO THE MUSIC

Working on acceptance while waiting, I've been discovering the importance of "celebrating moments. "There's a world of activity. A life worth celebrating.

The Lord Himself seems to invite me, this Dancing Granny, to get up and move.

Turn off the TV. Turn off the laptop.

Put down the book. Silence the phone.

Dance to the music. The music that's been playing since the beginning of time!

Feel it in the rhythm of the wind. Hear it in the rain on the roof. See it in the sunrise. 

Know it! Move to it. Sing a-long. The Lord puts new songs in our mouths. (Psalm 40:3)

We all dance every day to the "tune of life" but the most important choice is our partner!
Always choose Him!

ACCEPTANCE--a sereni-TEA sweetener

My Gratitude Journal's "word of the month" is "acceptance."

Key to waiting is acceptance. Acceptance of the present over the perfect.
What one "has" might be different from what one "wants." A statement that one needs to give credence to in order to move away from self-absorption and go forward.

There are NO perfect relationships, NO perfect physical health for the aging, NO perfect night's sleep every single night, NO emotional health without hormones, etc.---at least not ALWAYS.

Life can be full of head "noises" and random aches, and troubles galore. Expect that fact.
Perfection in life is an unrealistic expectation.

But God....know that God can be in the midst of all these struggles and provide the peace that calms one's heart as one's life questions, without answers, whir by and circumstances remain the same.
Answers one so desperately wants. Accepting that answers might not be ours to have at this time. Refocusing. Getting eyes off of self and on to the Lord and others.

Shakespeare said it well, " God's goodness hath been great to thee---Let never day or night unhallowed pass but still remember what the Lord hath done."

So...as I steep my cuppa acceptance each morning this month, I'm going to reach for the sweetness that can accompany it----sereni-TEA---not an artificial sweetener to gloss over or deny. A true sweetness with truth from His word. (Psalm 119:103)
Tasting and seeing His goodness as I approach each day knowing that inner peace is possible even if the outward conditions do NOT change.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests......mental, emotional and physical health....look to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

Living Expectantly, even in waiting

Wordsmith Bernie's slug mail enclosure was a timely delivery.

It was an affirmation of yesterday's Blue Skies blog THOTS (Trusting Him On This Subject) 
Joy and suffering can both be a part of the equation of life, existing side by side. 

Taken from INTOUCH 3/26 devotional these "gems" jumped out at me. 

• .....letter from a friend struggling between the already but not yet. (Hm-m-m, "not yet" sounds like waiting to me. Dotsy) 
• “All I can do,” he wrote, “is live each moment as it comes and be aware of God in it.” His conclusion: “I want to let struggle, grief, and hurt exist side by side with joy, peace, and hope.” 
• It may not be easy to live expectantly between present and future realities, but I believe it’s the best approach. A mom grieving the death of her son explained, “I’m discovering how grief and hope dance together, often exchanging the lead. Yet without Christ’s sacrifice, there would be no hope—and what a cruel dance that would be.” (emphasis mine)

Now, that’s living expectantly and a great adverb for waiting----my toes are tapping expectantly as I type!

Waiting---adverbial directions

Waiting is not static. In the spiritual realm waiting is a time of expectancy. Waiting expectantly is the psalmist's adverbial rendering.
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. NIV (Psalm 5:3) 

As Andrew Murray puts it, "Christians do not know.....the unspeakable blessedness of continually waiting on God." (Waiting on God, p. 13) 
Continually. Uninterrupted. A constant in my life. Not just this specific time of waiting for emotional, physical and possible medical directions. 

Patiently. An adverb that is not in my adverbial repertoire when it comes to waiting. 
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1)

I want a new song --Now---actually yesterday.  (Psalm 40:3)

So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God. ESV Always is an appropriate waiting adverb too. God's Word translation says, "always wait with hope for your God." Love the propositional phrase that emphasizes how to wait---with hope. (Hosea 12:6)

Waiting, with adverbial directions-----and prepositional hope!
Waiting on God----but without GRAMMATICAL GAFFES, I hope! After all, it's Wordsmith Wednesday!

Passing Time While Waiting

Can't waiting be more than just "whiling away the hours?"

Spending time at West Clinic today as I waited for a friend's radiation treatment to "finish up," I picked up a book, to "finish up" my morning read.  Roger Rosenblatt's, making toast, "a painfully beautiful memoir....how people die out of order." (E.L. Doctorow)

It became more than "passing time" as I came across a few jewels. 

When the author's grandaughter responded to her "Boppo's" comment that children have no power... 

"That's not true, Boppo," she said. "We have the power of thought and kindness." (p. 159)

Rosenblatt's summation of a book review he had written (Deaf Sentence) concerning Desmond  Bates visit to Auschwitz, " '...I see how one was unable to value the passing time.' "

"As far as I can tell, this is how to live---to value the passing time." (p. 157)

 A needed reminder ---when in a season of waiting, value the passing time. 

Wednesday Wordsmiths

Wednesday Wordsmiths.
My daily prayer list is compartmentalized in a way that would not make a bit of sense to others----but that doesn't matter as it is "my list" and tends to help my recall.
God has been gracious to help me remember what day it is and thus folks for whom I intercede on each day of the week.......as recall these days seems more difficult.

Part of my Wednesday "default" list is filled with wordsmith friends and family.

Wednesday Wordsmith Bernie has recently shared her Biblical Truths --Alliterated. Now that's right up my alley. 

Acronyms. Acrostics. Alliteration. 

Any literary device that helps me recall truth is appreciated.

Bernie's "P" list was thought provoking today. A great reminder that as I continue to "wait" I need to remember that the best location for waiting patiently is in His Presence. Patiently, an adverb, that needs to characterize my "waiting" journey. (Psalm 40:1)

My "pig" pottery cup led me to BE's "P" list where patience was listed.

OK, Wednesday Wordsmith Bernie, now I need some M(s). 

M(s) to keep me mindful or maybe help on my mindful acrostic, as I'm struggling to keep my wandering mind filled with positive, peaceful ponderings. (especially in the wee hours) 

Adverbs to never use----never and always, oops

Seems like I'm always waiting for something. 
Obviously, I'm not the only one. Shauna Niequest in cold tangerines, writes of waiting to become something else----the person she is biding her time to be...." (p. 15)
Biding. A Mama Davenport term. I've always known, because of her, that sometimes one has to "bide her time" BUT not to miss opportunities and adventures along the "wait."

I recommend an icy glass of sweet tea and a Niequest's chapter "on waiting"* as an adventure during my wait for results of hubby's MRI.

*Enlarge the pic & enjoy celebrating "little" moments...
instead of waiting for those big ones!

Now I'm learning that waiting never needs to be static. Waiting is attitudinal and "the wait" does not have to be undesirable or uninteresting.

Hubby said, just last night, "I can't wait for SPRING!" Yet, the calendar shows---this "Leap Year," means he will have to wait an extra day!
But...he can wait with a positively expectant outlook, maybe even celebrating the 365.25 day itself.
It's his choice---- always a choice for each of us in our waiting game!

Today's "Google" pic might indicate a "nap" as a good option as one anticipates springtime.
I never say "no" to a nap!

Waiting---adverbial directions

Coming soon---you'll just need to wait patiently, joyfully and expectantly!

Waiting Room Prayers

Still praying. Still waiting.

Wishing God would skywrite my "answers" in the clouds------
allowing clarity to replace confusion.

Will document later.

"The Wait"

I'm typing as I sit in the "gowned waiting area" at the Methodist Hospital Breast Center. Trust me, gown is a loose term---real loose! Though one lady across from me seems to have on a deluxe model which actually has some oomph in the fabric and it actually covers her torso.

It's the waiting that is hard. My turn next.

Just a week ago I was at a different doctor for a biopsy and then came the real wait. Waiting for test results. Two days later a  "good" report was given. Today a different scenario but same need for waiting.

3D  screening complete. Doc will review. Please return to the waiting area. 

Just a month ago, my dear friend was in this place and a "wait" ensued after diagnosis of "biopsy needed" was given. Results showed cancer. More waiting as an MRI was ordered. Results showed more cancer on a different side. More waiting. Surgery needed. Doctors needed to coordinate their schedules. More waiting. Surgery schedule for 3 weeks later---therein was the real waiting. Surgery seemed successful with post-op positive indicators....BUT.....more waiting  needed for the official results.  

So what does one do while she waits. Pray. That's the easy answer, yet it's hard to do when one is right in the midst of the wait.  A wait filled with concern. A perfect time for intercessory prayer.

"Mrs. Liles." Diagnostic needed. Enter darkened room for further pictures.....two places on the left breast.  A least the "goop" is warm. 

Four years ago I had observed women in this situation in a  Waiting Room Angst blog entry.
As I wait in this dark place, it helped to go back and read it.

Ultrasound complete. Please wait in here until the doctor can review.

Renee returns. It's okay. Pretty sure it's a benign cyst.
You may go now....We'll just WAIT and watch.

FAST PASSES---N/A

3/19/13 Fast Passes were available for us at all the "biggie" rides at Disney World last week. They enabled us to avoid waiting, to skip the unpleasantness of long lines, which are so undesirable when you have young children in tow. Too bad such passes aren't available for us as we navigate thru life. At least in our "human" thinking that seems desirable. But God.....is more concerned with our character than our comfort. 

Streams in the Desert's entry (3/19*) clearly points out the "necessity of waiting" in the spiritual realm.  

Many hours of waiting  were necessary to enrich
David's harp with song. And hours of waiting in the
wilderness will provide us with psalms of
"thanksgiving, and the sound of singing," (Isaiah 51:3)
The hearts of the discouraged here below will be lifted
and joy will be brought to our Father's heavenly home.

Waiting---whether in a line or in another unpleasant or hard discouraging place can be an "exercise" in dependence on Him.  Waiting and discomfort can increase both our capacity for "suffering" and sensitivities to others.

No fast passes needed---just Him.

*Thanks to JoLynn for the "Streams" rec this morn--
 On-line entry is 8/27 & underlines are mine.

4-LETTER Words

1/7/11 Growing up in a home with a mother who could “drop” some bombshells of words, though never blasphemous, and a daddy whose vocabulary didn’t contain any 4-letter words, I clearly understood the difference. The flow of words from their mouths, whether LOUD & clear or soft and gentle, seemed to mirror their personalities. Mother, the verbal, was the more choleric/sanguine type and Daddy’s nature was more melancholy/phlegmatic combo. Establishing my own home as a parent, I knew that I wanted it to be free of 4-letter words—not that a “c---“ hasn’t been “dropped on occasion. In fact, the “S” word at our house was “shut-up” and was not allowed. We said “hush.”

Lately, I’ve realized that there is a 4-letter word in my own life.
If you can read Chinese, no need to read further---you’ve found me out.

It’s not a word I say out loud but a word that for me has all the negative connotations of an old-fashioned “cuss word” and I don’t like it. I don’t like it in my life’s vocabulary and yet it’s one God uses to teach me necessary life lessons. I know it’s a 4-letter word for me because my children see its manifestation in me through my impatience.

What’s the word you ask---WAIT until tomorrow’s blog and I’ll reveal it. Not really.

My struggle with waiting runs the gamut from the “rage” of everyday situations to the dramatic emotion of wanting to run ahead of God. IMPATIENCE is not pretty. Yet, we’ve all learned NOT to pray for patience because the life lessons that teach it are so difficult. So what now?

Internet friend, Carolyn O’s blog gave a worthy answer.

• Years ago I stopped praying for patience but instead now pray for the grace to wait on the Lord. That “re-arranged” prayer has radically changed my ability to wait. I now have HIS power and strength to wait for His perfect answers to my prayers and my cries for help. It has made all the difference in my ability to wait for His answers and to be able to see His hand at work throughout the process of bringing about His perfect will….. A HUGE difference! I used to say that “wait” is a four-letter word. Although wait still has only four letters in it, I’m learning to see that waiting is only tolerable through the power, strength, and grace of the Lord.