Stormy Weather?

THURS., MAY 17, 2001, 10:12 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

The thunder, outside, cracks and rolls as some rain finally comes to this “drying up” land. You are safe inside, with a review of this morning’s Scripture “lesson” and a preview of next week’s “journey into Revelation.” Is this a “stormy” time in your life? Hear My comments on this question.

First, of course – the positives. After every storm comes a time of clearing, with sunshine to combine with the dropped moisture, so that plants flourish, grow, and fulfill “their destiny.” You are still here in this small office, enjoying the last month of “its being yours.” You have enjoyed this small space, but you also enjoyed and profited from your teaching career… and it now is “quite over.” You have accepted this, as it should be, and so will you accept this time of physically moving away from this Department and building. This shall have some “stormy weather” quality to it, but surely, for you, that storm will pass and clearer skies (at least) will appear.

You are (as you should be) enjoying this time of retirement. You have no regular, compelling “assignments,” and you are coming closer to full enjoyment of this time of nonengagement. You realize that the end of this relationship with the University portends being closer to death, but you feel pleased and fortunate that you have this time to appreciate how life has been AND how it is now. It has been fun and worthwhile to BE the professional/professor you have been, but now it is time to review and ponder some of what your field… and you… contributed to life in your era.

I don’t like the slowness you’ve displayed in writing, publishing, and sending out this “current” Ruminations. You don’t either, as it remains your almost only responsibility. See if you can finish it today, so that it can be “out” sometime next week. And, yes, you can CONSIDER going to 3 a year, rather than 4.

Your physical body still works fairly well, in what it “needs to do.” You realize that as you “take it easy” you lose muscle tone and lung capacity. If you lose too much it will be close to impossible to recapture. So decide what you want these next years to be, and maintain what is necessary for what you want.

Yet it is not worthwhile to feel excessively “guilty” about what you’re not doing… that you once did (10:47 / 10:49). You are “doing better” in maintaining a healthy perspective on your now-life. Don’t give up all of your sense of responsibility and achievement, but you needn’t push yourself too hard to “be as you were.” (But you do know what I expect from you, in relation to these Teaching and their utilization. Keep Me “ever in your mind and heart.”)

So, while I want you to be as positive about life, as you’re living it, as possible. I am quite aware of your “losses” – the “stormy weather” of your present and future earth life. Your feet are healing, but slowly, as you expected (even as you hoped for something more miraculous!). I won’t tell you how they shall be, eventually, but I urge you to be as positive as possible about their “status.” (They have gone from “painful” to “uncomfortable.” Now be aware of times, short or longer, when they feel almost normal.)

Symbolically, your right eye has a “storm cloud” in its center. You’d hate to lose the adequate functioning of the left one, but… well, that’s a possibility to consider, in several ways.