When I want something, I want it right away.
Pronto. Capiche?
Me no likey waiting.
Gimme, gimme. Have, have, have.
I am one of the most impatient people I know.
Currently I am in need of a functioning office. My office is--how do you say it-- a hole of death. Makes me go loco. Due to a list of reasons that would bore you and irritate me, I cannot tell you why it is not functioning. All I can tell you is that I am waiting for my contractor to show up and put in the electrical.
That being said, I can think of a host of good reasons to wait for something. And I need to remind myself of these things.
Beef Stew in the slow cooker.
Can't you just smell it? It's a cold winter day and dinner is simmering all day long in your 6 quart Crock Pot. And shouldn't it have to simmer? When the flavors of a half dozen wonderful veggies and beef come together and marry their flavors--each gently yielding their juices--its worth the wait. A carrot caramelizing. A potato absorbing broth. A nutty celery flavor. Oh me, oh my.
A Baby.
God didn't just take the greater part of a year because he needed that time to weave a baby. I firmly believe that 40 weeks is his idea of mental preparation for the amount of selflessness a parent is going to need to allow this baby to meld into their heart and family. Can you imagine the chaos in the world if the gestation for a baby were one week? *Sweet mercy*
Understanding Grace.
I can't even say that I fully understand grace yet because my bound-in-sin world is not steeped in it... but if you can imagine for one instant a world in which someone stopped slinging sloppy, un-creative, evil words at another person and instead said, "I know you think I'm a pickle bum, but I really like you. I like how you embrace the world with such vigor. And, while I'm at it, I also like your blond curly hair. It's really bouncy." An audible thud would be heard as heavy, ill-meaning words dropped to the ground and people pondered the use of other vernacular.
Side note: One time when I was a young know-it-all designer I emailed a publisher that I didn't like how they printed my design and the publisher wrote back a very nice note signed "Shalom" at the bottom. It utterly unraveled me with its kindness. I have never forgotten it. Sometimes understanding grace takes time to sink in... the results are marvelous.
Home Decor.
Okay, this is a stretch, but I'm going to say it: I can tell when people have spent a decade of choosing special things to fill their home vs. the people who gave Pottery Barn $10,000 and said, "Have at it." I really can. There's something special about not rushing things.
Surgery.
Ugh. Definitely do not let anyone operate on you who looks rushed and impatient. Or who dresses like a space cowboy.
Flowers and Butterflies.
Have you ever tried to force open a flower before its bloom was ready? During the time that the bloom is still tightly curled, amazing creation magic is happening inside its belly. Stamens are reaching. Color is deepening. Fragrance is crescendoing. It's a very important time of growth. Same goes for butterflies. If you peel open their chrysalis too early, you'll get a wet, mad butterfly. Best leave him be.
Wow. I could continue this list for ages. But for now, I'll just use it to remind myself to be patient right now.
The office can wait. The place of peace and joy and creativity will have to be only present in my mind until it manifests itself within these four walls of this very messy office.
Shalom.
These are some of my new cabinets... Aren't they purdy?
