What Is Progress… To Me?

TUES., APR. 28, 1998, 2:44 PM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Yes, o son, your fingers, as counters, tell you that you’ve had almost 8 months of this non-teaching Emeritus status. Technically you are retired, but I’m pleased to see you still involved in this University scene, with some students, and with your colleagues and staff. At this point I wouldn’t call it progress for you to leave this aspect of your life completely, as some of your colleagues have. Slow progress toward this eventual “state” is what I recommend, for you. For some others life has not been as pleasant and rewarding: for these withdrawal can be a better form of progress.

The tasks that keep you busy are mostly ones you’ve selected or agreed to, without being forced. Still, even with some enjoyment of these, you too feel “pressed”, like unto when you were a full-time professor. You would like to make somewhat faster progress toward the semi-monk status that you have accepted, from Me, as the best for you in these latter years of your life. You are not yet contemplating as I’ve said you should, and your study on the Farm is way too messy and disorganized for the life toward which you should be progressing. I’m aware of your intentions, and yet I see you failing to carry out what you should… and shouldn’t do. I’ll help, but you’re the one who must take the action.

Don’t see this as a prophesy, but just as an observation: in relation to progress in your left hand situation, there’s good news and bad news. The bad is that the weakness and numbness seem to be progressing, with nothing, medically, that has been recommended seems to be arresting this “progress”. The positive observation is that you are adapting well, devising new ways to use the strength and facility that you have to live life reasonably well. This is comparable to what I advised when your back and leg hurt, and your limp was rather severe. I wanted you to appreciate others who had comparable… and more restrictive… handicaps, and still maintain a positive, joyful outlook on life. Here we are again.

You are quite aware of that toward which you are ultimately progressing. The condition of your body is of less and less importance, but one of the true tests of spirit for one, like yourself, who has lived a healthy, hale, active life is the unimportance of physical imperfections. Some people, like your sister, Joanne, have dealt with this almost for a lifetime. (3:14 / 3:18) Your “path” isn’t necessarily easier or harder. It’s just different.

(You just had an unexpected, pleasing occurrence, with a student, in Rec., whom you don’t even know, wanting to use your Wellsprings model in a class presentation. Experiences like this are certainly satisfying to have. And all because you haven’t progressed away from this college scene.)

What is progress… to Me? It is movement toward seeing all life events, for you, as either being fundamentally, even totally, spiritual or having a definite spiritual component. It is movement toward Both/And thinking and For everything there is a season… For example, you may or may not keep the pledge you made on this refurbishing project of your church. You may come to see it as quite worthwhile and quite worthy of your limited funds. And, yet, you also may see it as not as worthy as Covenant House, Running Strong… or Soaring Eagle, or… It may be progress, as you may see, to contribute to more obvious needs than to this costly local project. You can still be an active, contributing member of this church without being carried along into coerced giving.