Tuesday, June 20, 2006

sailing without wind doesn't get you very far

The school year is almost over and I've noticed that I am ready for it to be finished. I am doing pretty well, don't get me wrong- from day to day things are good. But, how can I tell that it's time for the school year to be finished? Well, I've noticed that right now I have very little patience for the small things. I guess you could say discouragement out of proportion to the circumstance. Now, I'm not walking around all discouraged, but just noticing that little things that normally would be easier to shrug off and keep going, just take the wind right out of my sails (for a little while, anyway.) A feeling of - "ok I give up." That is then followed by a momentary thought of "I would like to go home now."
I don't think it actually has anything to do with being here. It has more to do with me, being tired and ready for a rest. So, I need some perspective I guess.

Like this:(one of my favourite verses on rest)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Mt 11:28-30). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.


Here is the same passage from "The Message", (it is a paraphrase....)
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Peterson, E. H. (2003). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Mt 11:28-30). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress

I love that passage, it reminds me where to go when I'm weary, and even reminds me of why I sometimes am weary. At the times when the wind is taken out of my sails, well, maybe there wasn't that much wind in my sails to begin with.

There's only One who can give wind enough to keep me sailing along, and it ain't me.





And as an add on freebie, here's some more perspective that I need...some good old quotes from none other than Corrie ten Boom herself:

"The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy."

"Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear."

"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."

"Faith is like radar that sees through the fog -- the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see." Cornelia ten Boom (1892-1983)

Reading Corrie ten Boom is always encouraging too. ( And she looks just a little bit like my grandma. See?---that makes her extra cool)



Ah, I feel better now.

6 comments:

polarpegs said...

Okay I admit I didnt read the post but I have to tell you that I dreamt about you last night. I cant really recall details but I know you were in it and I kept calling you by a different last name and then correcting myself but when I corrected myself it was always to your maiden name. A point I just realized as I was trying to recall other details. Anyway perhaps that just means we need to get together and soon. When are you coming home next????

The confused foreigner. said...

Dreaming about me, it wasn't a stress dream was it?
well, I'm sure it was a happy dream. I don't even want to guess what else it entailed. (Like the fact that I was probably wearing massive glassses)
It would be great to get together, unfortunately we won't be home this summer. :( The plan at this point is to come back next summer.
So, the reunion shall have to wait for a bit, unless of course you guys are in our neck of the woods any time soon?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the verses, K, they're super encouraging to me at this point. Probably because I'm also ending school and going into finals starting tomorrow, but a few other reasons as well. You can expect post on my blog along the same lines within the near future. *wink* Hope things are going well. Thinking about you tons.
--Ames

Anonymous said...

I hear ya! Thanks for the good words. I love the thought of "unforced rhythms of grace"... such yummy words!
...To the finish line we go.
~your purple loving friend

Kelley Anne said...

Hey Lady!
I've been all over that verse lately!! I hear yah!

The confused foreigner. said...

Hey purple lover, and hey Kelley, thanks for dropping by!
(and of course you too Ames!)