A New Year… And Pain

MON., JAN. 1, 2001, 9:29 PM
FARM, DIN’G TABL

Yes, o son, this is the first day of the “new year” of 2001. It has been a gentle day, with not much activity, which meant that your feet were fairly comfortable. But as the evening came on you expected the pain to return – and it has, definitely. The aspirin you are taking now is not as effective as other pain-relievers, but Lenore says you may not take anything else. You are not opposed to such restrictions, but you do expect that your feet will continue to hurt… even worse…and that sleep will be difficult, even impossible.

You have at least semi-prized yourself on your capacities to deal with pain, even as you have had few instances when pain was severe and/or prolonged. Yet you must now admit that the desire to have pain abated, at almost any cost, is increasing. You expect that there will be some pain near the end of your life, so perhaps this can be a kind of “practice” for future struggles with this normal, expected body response.

Back to the new year… you expect this to be a good year for you, with perhaps this first month being necessary for recovery from the injuries to your feet. You expect to return as soon as possible to your weekly breakfast Bible Study group, and, of course, I’m certainly for that. These injuries also make it easier for you to avoid other church duties, for you do feel that you are no longer needed in the official ways that have characterized your life for these many years. Just see it as “fun” that you no longer must be a responsible “worker.”

I urge you to “use” pain to motivate you to spend time with Me, in receiving and writing Teachings, as We’re doing now AND in re-reading previous Teachings and in writing and sending forth Our Ruminations. This one, now begun, shall focus on this strange adventure that brought about the painful injuries. Then you may need to do a “follow-up” on the pain experience. Yes, do go back and review earlier Letters that dealt with pain… as well as Teachings in times since that might contain some good thoughts of Mine.

So… this is a New Year in which you can and should settle into an appropriate retirement. I have “assigned” you plenty of writing, but you may want to do some expressions of reaction to this time in your life… and in your culture. Contemplation is not time wasted, at your age. Take time for this, as good for your best transition from this earth life to life wholly in spirit form.

The pain… and the disability that results from it… force you to consider getting rid of some… even all… of your animals. There is some merit to this, but consider, also, that these have been an important part of your life here on the Farm. Would life be improved… or diminished… if you reduced or eliminated these “responsibilities”? Ponder this carefully.

Your strongest assumption is that these feet will heal and life will continue “as before.” Yet you must also consider… “What if they don’t heal?” What if life is more like it is now than like it was before Thanksgiving?” This is hard to consider… and it may not be necessary… but… don’t be afraid to consider such… what you’d lose, but also what you’d gain.

So… consider cutting back on farm choirs… or even… moving into either town, as a simplification of your life. Or… rejecting this as too major, how can you continue to live here in a simpler way?

Don’t let pain determine what you decide, but you must consider it as a factor. You don’t expect to “come across’ this year, but such a “change” should be a factor (not major, yet) in your plans for and activities of this present earth life.