Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tapioca pudding...



It's interesting how inspiration or insights come to one who is seeking for some kind of direction in a difficult moment. Whether it's happenstance, divine intervention or just one's own mind seeking to fill a void, I'm not sure, but it's all good no matter the source...

Three recent examples:

* It's amazing what impressions may come while sitting on the toilet. The other day I picked up a book I'm reading about Lincoln, and flipped open to a random page, while doing my business, and my eyes were drawn to this:

"I have been very, very indulgent with my children - chided or praised for it. It is my privilege that my children are free, happy, and unrestrained by parental tyranny. Love is the chain whereby to lock a child to its parents." - Abraham Lincoln.

I DO NEED TO LEARN RIGHT NOW TO LOVE MORE UNCONDITIONALLY...

* Coming up the stairs, there was left a wrinkled up sheet of paper. I don't know where it came from (maybe from a lesson my wife was preparing), but I picked it up with the intent to throw it away, when I looked down at the paper and printed in huge 36 point font Swiss Roman letters was this quote:

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Mother Theresa.

I DO NEED TO LEARN RIGHT NOW TO BE LESS JUDGMENTAL, PARTICULARLY FROM A RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION POINT OF VIEW, IN ORDER TO FIND ROOM TO LOVE...


* I had a very emotional day at church on Sunday. I guess it was obvious to some that observed my emotions very close to the surface. Afterward, a sister (who I am not particularly close to) came up to me to take care of some business. She stopped, stared into my eyes and said: "I don't need to know what's going on, sweetheart, but I promise you it will get better. Just go home and eat some tapioca pudding!" I burst into tears of both grief and laughter and we hugged. (NOTE: Interesting aside - that evening this ward sister (who has never stepped foot in my house after living here more than a decade)brought a huge plate of the best nutty brownies and said "I didn't have any tapioca, so I hope these will do instead..." held my hand for a moment, squeezed it tightly, smiled, and then left.

I NEED TO LEARN TO BE MORE WILLING TO LIFT OTHERS SPONTANEOUSLY AND WITHOUT AN ASSIGNMENT TO DO SO...

8 comments:

Neal said...

I loved this post.

Saint Job said...

:-)

naturgesetz said...

The third part of this post brought a big smile to my face.

I believe that when we are open to receiving God's direction, he can give it it all sorts of ways, including the things you mention.

Ned said...

You have fed me and so many others, I'm glad to hear that someone stepped up to feed you.

Beck said...

Thanks ALL for your kind responses...

Benny said...

I recently entered the blog world. Loved this post, thank you.

Adon said...

I enjoyed it too...Adrian

Anonymous said...

I love what that woman did for you and didn't even try to pull out of you what was troubling you... She just saw someone was hurting and did what she could do. I LOVE people like that.