Still

We all need people. And we all have the opportunity to learn from others. I think it's a wonder that so much of life in our culture seems to consist of breaking away from those who can teach us the most. I think sometimes God gives us others around us in our lives so that we can learn to become secure leaning on them through the tough times and learning to be vulnerable. I don't know about anybody else, but I've always been petrified of weakness and failure. I don't want anyone to ever reject me because they have seen that I am not "with it.". There should be nothing demeaning or embarrassing about serving others. But let's face it... Our culture doesn't look on this very favorably much, right? If someone lives at home longer than expected to help their parents out, they're seen as lazy and having no life. If Someone stays home in the evening or on the weekends instead of going out, they are looked at as boring or unwilling to try new things. If someone is single, it is automatically assumed that they are unhappy because they are not in a relationship. If someone ends up in the hospital or simply needs to stay in bed because they're sick, they tend to become guilt ridden because of all the people they feel they are letting down.

I feel that it is a skill to learn to take life more slowly and let others take care of us. The truth is, this is looked down on in every way in our culture. We don't like people who don't have any social or career status. If someone does not work outside the home, they are seen as lazy and unwilling to pull their own weight. How untrue this so often is! Maybe there's someone in your home who needs your company or attention. Maybe not having a nine to five job enables you to do things you could not if you were at work, like visit someone in the hospital, or help someone with a project, wash a sink full of dishes, or do a load of laundry. Perhaps the financial help we may be receiving from someone helps them feel useful, or independent. Maybe it's an endearing thing for them to be able to do something for us. Perhaps allowing someone to help us, or do a particular task for us, allows them to show us their love.

I feel that a huge longing that is suffocating many people, is not the need to be loved by others, but the desire to show others around us the love that's already in us. I think that's the real reason. People can crave relationships so much. It's not so much because they are requiring love from others. It's because they know they have great love already in them that they want to shower on someone, without reserve; and people are so longing to receive it. But we're made to feel that for so many hours each week, we must be completely in control, and unemotional. We must have everything all together, and be moved away from our parents, paying for our own home, vehicle and bills as soon as possible. We must be in and out of college with a prestigious job that matches our degree as soon as possible, and if a woman stays home and raises her children, she also is seen as having no life.

It was John Lennon who said that life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. Life is such a paradox, isn't it? We're told to be strong because this is the only way we can benefit others, but sometimes the strongest thing we can do is allow others to help us. Wow! Who Knew, right? There is strength in weakness! :). There can be great progress, I think, it the times when something seems to have come to a complete standstill. For instance, I have a few books that I had begun some time ago, on two different laptops. One laptop I had gotten to replace the other, because the jack on the back of the computer became stripped inside and would no longer hold the power cord. Five years, 3 viruses and 3 power cords later, the second laptop had the exact same issue. Now I have two computers, stuck in which, are pages and pages of things I've written over several years... with every intention of publishing them. Currently, it's been really difficult for me to even get the money together to have both PC's repaired. This has become a long, drawn out "disappointment, that I did not realize I'd run into. But I'm confident that at the right time, these will be fixed, and I'll be able to see my creative work again. Perhaps it just isn't time for me to publish those things yet. In any event...I'm learning to be patient... And that good things come to those who wait. Good grief... Had not even planned to post an entry tonight! But guess what? There it is. :). Yo never know... while you think nothing is going on, you can be having more of an impact then you know! Take care my friend! :)