Minor Discomforts

MON., DEC. 13, 1993, 6:58 AM
FARM, STUDY

Just now you are experiencing one of those infrequent minor discomforts, the common cold. You said, partly in truth, that you would conduct each of the final classes out here at the Farm in good health… and then you would have time to “get sick.” You did accomplish that goal, and now still have a couple of days before the final exams roll in. This condition is a minor discomfort… one you should be enjoying because of its infrequency. Coughing like this is a drag, but keep busy, in a gentle way, and your body will complete the healing process.

There still is a minor pain in your foot where the unwelcome nail pierced. You are trusting that your immune system is dealing with this, as it should, even with the remote chance of a serious infection. If more of you affluent Americans took care of yourselves and trusted your bodies you would have no medical care crisis, as you feel you have now. There might be more minor discomforts and a few more premature deaths, but, in general, your culture’s health would be as good, or better.

At this time in the semester final exams are another form of minor discomfort. The questions that you have developed are generally interesting, with a final requirement of telling you how each feels about each issue. This is the interest factor that shall carry you through the minor ordeal of much reading and judging.

In this season of winter soon to be officially here cold is a minor discomfort. You know there will be mornings when your hands and feet, especially, shall be quite uncomfortable because of the air temperature. You shall have to melt the ice in water bowls, increasing the time in the out-of-doors scene. Yet consider that the itching of summer, that minor discomfort that generally plagues you in the hot months, is gone, returning only when you let the bed get too hot. You have plenty of warm weather clothes… and of those for these chilled days. The coolness of rooms here in the Farmhouse can be another minor discomfort, until the warmth from the small stoves brings back the comfort level.

It is a minor discomfort to you that both of your desks are almost perpetually cluttered. I remind you, and you vow to follow through and clean them. You do, periodically, but the clutter returns. It is only a minor irritation, for you are not a “neatness freak.” My advice, however, is to get them clean before the finals come in.

The demise of your Wednesday morning Bible study is a minor discomfort of another sort. You miss the discipline of reading the Scripture passage and then the commentary, highlighting and marking the points of most interest. Then, in a unique fellowship, the 5-9 of you eat together and then discuss the “assignment,” an excellent, early way to begin a day. Urge Richard to reinstate this as the New Year commences, for it is a good, though minor, feature of your life. Now of course you could set up a Bible study regimen of your own, perhaps even involving Lenore. That truly isn’t a suggestion that is “too far out.”

Yet another minor discomfort is your procrastination in writing the cards and letters that seemed so urgent and important after your two California trips. As you think about this it becomes more of a major discomfort, but then, in the competition for your time and attention, it recedes into minority. You shall finally redeem yourself, with some of the people, but for others you just will have to accept that you can’t accomplish all that you should… and that you want to. This is a discomfort, but should be only a minor one.