Thank you Ruiz, for your honest and reflective post on the motto, “this, too, shall pass away” (Watson, 1951, p. 74). I appreciated reading your reflections and they caused me to reflect on my own life as well.

I have found myself at times looking back at certain seasons in my life, when I wished that I had enjoyed or savoured the process more. At those times, I was very goal focused and found myself just “holding out” until I finally got to the end of a project or the deadline for something, so that I could feel a sense of “relief” and/or “peace.”

Then there were other times in my life that were so emotionally and physically painful, that the notion of “this, too, shall pass away” was a comfort. Knowing that one day my personal health issues or the family struggle would come to an end. I think in those really difficult situations, this helps us cope and to keep persevering.

However, I am finding in my current season of life, where my health issues and family crisis have passed, that I am still functioning in the mentality of “this, too, shall pass away.” This mentality allows me to now “rush” through life and focus my mind and energy so much on specific things that I miss enjoying all the other things happening in my life and also can leave me feeling unnecessarily stressed!

God has been reminding me especially in the last two years, that He values the “process” of things and lately He has been inviting me to “slow down” more and hear from Him. Though I am not a naturally patient person, I think I am growing in learning to trust God in the process, both when things are difficult and when things are easier. He loves me and does not want to leave me where I am at. He desires me to flourish and grow more into who He created me to be.

I hope we can both learn to savour the journey we are led on in this life, no matter the present difficulties, and to look back with wonder and joy to see where we have come from and where we are now.

Monica

 

References

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.