Today’s Wednesday Wisdom thoughts are a blend of recent test result of my husband, Tom’s, rare form of mucosal melanoma and of my own life lessons. I am on a self-imposed personal adventure to notice small miracles which Solomon (my alter ego aka “wise sheep”) and I call “a God thing” for short or revelations of divine Presence for the official title. Interestingly, these are usually secrets in the wide open where we often miss them.
While there have already been many “God things” perhaps our first big lesson about wisdom is:
There is wisdom hidden in ordinary life experience. It is often seemingly disguised in the grit and grime of everyday life.
There are times when it is easier to find divine Presence. For example, this week we were blessed by a wonderful time and good food with our daughter and her husband who beautifully parent-shepherd our seven year old twin grandkids. They knew that Tom (“Pops/dad”) was facing more treatment decisions and they extended their love of home, family, and faith to us in a most natural way. It seems to me that we rarely use the word “hospitality” anymore. But it is a wonderful word and it is a natural way for us humans to encourage one another. We learn from each other and it is in an organic way.
By “organic” I mean the kind of learning that is a life generating, ongoing process more than book learning. Clearly, it is not always easy like discovering the miracles of hospitality and encouragement.
And waiting is part of that process! Delayed gratification or prolonged problem solving are not popular with us humans.
Do you like to wait for anything? Most of us want what we want when we want it. And that is usually “now!”
But wisdom lessons can be learned in the waiting. Life is always ready to teach us.
So this week, our first waiting experience was when Tom’s consult appointment got postponed for a day.
I really thought about the many ways we have to wait and discovered two questions that helped by using acronyms:
WAIT . . . why am I tense?
There is usually no real reason to be in such a hurry. Oh we have a list of reasons, but I mean usually no Real reason. Mostly our brain is chattering unhappily. It is usually tense and anxious chatter too– the kind that robs us of peace and happiness.
WAIT . . . why am I talking?
I read the “why am I talking” acronym recently and for the life of me I cannot give proper acknowledgement to the one who came up with it. But I am passing it on because it helps me pause and it applies in lots of listening situations or in holding our tongue as parents.
Okay… finally Tom did have his consult and it was primarily good news. His metastasized melanoma on the lung is growing slowly. It is not large enough to reliably remove with surgery (the only way this kind gets treated) at this time. The thoracic surgeon was very helpful and very sure. Surgery will have to wait a few months and at no risk to Tom. In fact less risk.
So there is the WAIT word again! (All cancer patients understand how this ” messes with your mind.” )
We know that in the bigger picture we all wait on Mother Nature. We even say things like, “Let Nature take its course” or “Nature has her ways.”
Most of our waiting is less serious, but there are so many things we all learn from life’s bumpy ride.
When we are open to allowing ourselves to see a bigger picture, we rediscover deep and abiding truths about the importance of love, gratitude, courage, faith, hope, family, and friends.
As a nation and as individuals we keep on learning how much we all need each other.
And since I have been blogging about the gift of Stillness, or finding space between our thoughts, I would also add that allowing ourselves to be still and experience a sacred and expectant “hush” to flow through us is very helpful too.
It is another way to experience “the God thing.” Waiting then becomes a time of quiet confidence that all will be well.
Where will you discover miracles or wisdom lessons today in your world?