Times… And Seasons…

WED., MAR. 25, 1998, 9:00 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Today must surely be at least the commencement of our Winter Ruminations. The end of this season is at hand, and despite the “luxury” of Emeritus status you have managed to postpone this essential “scholarly” task. I realize that the condition of your fingers is worrisome, in relation to the typing of it, but it does have to be written first. Will this be the starting day?

Yesterday you decided it was “time to” read Ruth’s opus on Tielhard, a servant of Mine in a generation or so back. It did have some similarity to your work on Two Wellsprings and Dubos… and perhaps she’ll let you know how she feels. It she doesn’t… you’ll deserve the snub.

As you communicate to many people, it is not yet “time to” be in a comfortable Emeritus rhythm. Perhaps that can come only after you have this office taken back, so just enjoy this time of transition, and try to accomplish just a bit more. You have accepted, rationally, that these coming last years of this earth life will be a time of accumulating losses, but it is hard for you to accept such, comparably, with your spirit. You have done pretty well with the loss of your guitar playing, but the loss of typing capacity is harder to take. I have no direct answer for that. I just expect you to adapt, in some good way. Or you may have to try out several “new ways”.

It now is the season for planting, and you have no good excuse for failing to use this season as you should. You know how you want your Farm to look in summer and early Fall, and you must “get going” in the “time to plant”. You know, rationally, that you have much more time to devote to these various leisure activities than you had as a full-time professor, and so you do wonder why it is so hard to accomplish what you… and I… see as desirable. You are slower… you realize this… and you have developing disabilities, but… you still are too often frustrated by non-accomplishment. Again, I’ll suggest a list. At least give it a try.

I’ll say again that this is not a season for you to be soliciting for your church’s campaign for rebuilding money. You and Lenore must give some thought and “talk” to how you shall respond to the requests that will come for time and money. This project is not important to Me, and it needn’t be for you. Yet you need to be clear, as you respond to those for whom it is important, in your expression of your priorities. Practice a bit, at least.

It is time for you to write to your son, Bob, in a positive, supportive way. He is more faithful than you were in writing regularly to parents, and he is at least as busy as you were at his age. You do appreciate the steady communication, and you need to continually express this to him.

It continues to be a time to study My Holy Scriptures with this Wednesday morning group. Just be assured that re-reading and contemplating anew will continue to be a central means of spiritual growth. You shall see meanings and implications that were not evident before… or that differ from earlier understanding. Also re-read My Teachings to you, for a continuing renewal of Our relationship and a reaffirmation, regularly, of My Counsel to you. (I am your “First Counsel”… unincorporated).

You don’t feel, yet, that it is time to travel, but the invitation from Bob and his family is hard to turn down. I can’t tell you what to do about this. You can appreciate how your parents were coming to feel about traveling, when they were your age… and just a bit older.

I am aware of all the “communications” that come to you, many unsolicited. Decisions must be made. You made some “big ones” when you moved out of your larger office. Now you must make more with each arrival of the daily mail. There are some reasons for being “on the Internet”, but you also feel quite deluged without it. How “modern” should you be?