My friend’s minister sends a daily text of encouragement to whomever wants to receive them. I got great comfort from today’s text:
Whenever we hear that things will happen “in time” we often feel that they will take “a long time.” Be encouraged: “the right time” can be sooner than we think.
I’ve noticed in myself and in others, the waves of patience, impatience, fear, uncertainty, hope, peace, calm, anger, wonder, bewilderment, resignation, excitement, boredom, rebirth . . . . . it’s all a lot, isn’t it? It’s okay to feel wonderful one day, and worried as hell, the next. That’s just part of being human. The text from the minister today reminded me of the parable of the guy who was swimming across the English channel. He was exhausted, breathing heavy and all he could see was the heavy line of clouds and fog over the water, the grayness that seemed endless. He started to think that his pain and his exhaustion would be never-ending, and that his adventure was pointless. He was all set to give up, but as he was slowing down his strokes, getting ready to signal for the boat to pick him up and to end his hard-trained for goal, the sun came up and the fog lifted and it turns out that the shore was only a few feet away. The swimmer realized that he almost gave up on his determined, meaningful journey, right before his moment of glory.
