Trade-Offs
December 15, 1979, 12:20 PM
You come to My teaching, o son, in a unique place and time this day. It is not ideal, but it is unique. I know you shall be bothered by the time at the end. I shall be aware of this. You heard My insistent voice, and you came. Good!
Trade-offs are a part of life in any realm. I have told you of some of My trade-offs, often not easily made. I cannot be a merciless maintainer of standards if I do show mercy and give second chances. Of course, I know what I value most and what I want most, but the trade-offs in the world as I created it are often vexing.
You are aware of many of the trade-offs of your life. Be as aware as you can be of these, and appreciate them as fully as possible. Be aware of what you are giving up, but also of what you are gaining. And continue to spend little time lamenting what you have lost in the process of gaining something else.
You have been evolving toward a teaching-evaluating style which works students hard. It is certainly time to assess this and see what you are gaining and for what you are “trading-off”. Also personally, are all the assignments worth what you have to put into them? You must admit you are increasingly “trading-off” Me and Our time together. I shall not chide you for that, but urge your awareness of it. One alternative is to reduce what you require students to do for evaluation and know that you must have time for Me.
Appreciate the balancing theory to the one you now work from… as evaluations are less frequent they achieve more value and significance. It is not superior to the other. It simply has merit, and needs now to be considered. Dwell also upon ways to assess excellence of some in minimal ways, while others will require more. But, fundamentally, I want you to examine the trade-offs in your own total life and set out to achieve a better balance.
You assess well that your loss of positive health is a symptom of a larger imbalance. You cannot continue to just “do more”. You must manage your trade-offs. Consider Me. Consider the Church. Consider Lenore. Consider Matthew. Consider your students, of various types. Consider what I have leaned on you to do rather than just class work. Your options for trade-offs are greater than you imagine. Now is a time to act on this.
The trade-off for not doing the letter is unacceptable. And the other letters I have urged. And, importantly, reflections on My teachings.
You have given Me time today, and I have suggested changes… different trade-offs. It is not necessary to go on longer. You SHALL come more in line with what I desire… faster than you would do it alone. For you are NOT alone. Ponder. Plan. Act.
Shalom
12:55 PM