this is what the things can teach us

half-way done taking notes

So…amid working an estate sale, trying to figure out what ‘pre-writing’ means to me (or rather, running from whatever it might require), and deciding to garden in 100° weather, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged.

There are so many things to think about, to accomplish, it can be overwhelming. And even having ‘all my time to myself’ — there’s still never enough time. What lies behind all this, I think, is fear. And lack of trust. Perhaps that is redundant, but I usually consider them separately.

Fear and worry are time wasters. Even worse than that, they are time stealers — frittering away your hours of today, demeaning your hours of yesterday, and erasing your possibility of tomorrow with a snarky curl of their lips.

 

Oh to be dauntlessly hopeful and actively trusting. But as Rilke describes below, we can —

If we surrendered
to earth’s intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees.

Instead we entangle ourselves
in knots of our own making
and struggle, lonely and confused.

So like children, we begin again
to learn from the things,
Because they are in God’s heart;
they have never left Him.

This is what the things can teach us:
to fall,
patiently to trust our heaviness.
Even a bird has to do that
before he can fly.

# Rilke

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Comments:

Melody says: Oh Beth, so true. Thank you for this insight today. My truth right now? My scary falling? No more asterisks. I’ve been living by asterisks for my entire life "I’m going to do this if *." I let my dreams die by that asterisk. And so, I will go whole heart, head first into my dreams and ideas, and no more asterisk-living for me! Damn the consequences and the bashing my head against the rocks! Because, when it comes down to it, I’d rather bash my head in trying, then stay safe wishing.

And, for what it’s worth, I believe in you. With my whole heart. [02-Jul-12 at 19:09]

bet replied: thank you, friend! it’s funny. i felt like i should write more on this post, that it was unfinished, but nothing more seemed to fit and i made myself post it anyway, just b/c. so i’m glad to know it struck true with you. go, mel, go! i am in full agreement. 😁 [02-Jul-12 at 20:59]