Frustrations… Opportunities

FRI., JAN. 26, 2001, 3:48 PM
FARM, STUDY

You are now into the third month, as time is measured from your/Our “walk in the woods”… and the injured that resulted therefrom. It is frustrating not to be able to do what you want to do… and need to do. And, I realize it is hard for you to see this as a time of spirit enrichment. You see, you are “used to” being able to do much that you want to do, and now there is pain and disability… you can’t accomplish… and feeling is FRUSTRATION.

Consider the little task to which you just applied yourself: putting the Kroger “card” on your key chain. Your left hand doesn’t work as it should… and as it has through your life. It was hard to get the little bead in the place where it would hold the chain intact. You fumbled. You dropped the chain and the keys. You considered giving up, but this was countered by the deeper desire to accomplish this “now difficult” task. It took longer than it “should have,” but you finally succeeded. See this, please, as a miniature example of this “task” of letting your feet heal. It is not easy. The skin grafting may be necessary. Your spiritual “attitude” WILL affect the healing process, so be ready to “be quiet,” which is a necessity for this healing. It will not be easy, but I shall be with you… as you expect.

Related, somewhat, to this is the frustration of seeing this house, its “outside portions” and the house vicinity, look so trashy and unkept. ( 4:02 / 4:12 ) You are not a natural “neatnik,” but this place generally looks better than it does now. As soon as you ae able, accept this “clean-up” as a vital task, and restore it to… at least what it has been. You realize that continuing weaknesses (you shall never be as you were 10 years ago… even 5) are part of your life and these require adaptations… like… something takes more time (and you have this, now)… you have to adapt… you have to settle for less than “what it was”… and you may have to simplify your life. But what should you give up? Or, more importantly, what are your priorities? What must you continue to do?

Obviously you must continue to hear Me, Holy Spirit… and… to write, print, and circulate Our Ruminations each 3 months. (And you need to be “caught up” by June… September at the latest!)

You may continue, at some times, to have opportunities that seem worthwhile but which may take more time than you have, for such. Refusing such is not too difficult for you… and as you refuse, the invitations will slow or stop. You will then have to accept, more than you do now, that you are a “retiree,” from all except what you actually choose, yourself.

I tell you that this is a time, for you, to contemplate the life you have been privileged to live and put it into the perspective that you now have as an “oldster.” This is a privilege that you have… that two of your sons didn’t. It is good to lead an active, useful life, but when you’re also privileged to live a bit “beyond” this it is good to contemplate how it has been, even some of the “down” times. ( 4:29 / 4:34 )

For some reason you remembered, today, and thought a bit about the selection of you to be battalion commander of your NROTC unit in the early post-war year. You wouldn’t have been frustrated if someone else would have been chosen, for you don’t remember giving much thought to even how the selection was made. Yet there you were, in charge of the whole unit… a Commander, no less.

You’ve had many opportunities in these nearly 75 years of life, and you’ve taken advantage of… and accomplished in relation to most of those you responded to, favorably. As I have told you, from time to time, you were not outstanding in the life you led… but you were certainly above average… and almost seemed outstanding in some instances.