I am participating in the 2016 A-to-Z Blog Challenge. My theme is the music of my life.
In my earliest memory, I lay in my
crib as a familiar face peered in at me. Margaret, our housekeeper who had
been with the family since my mother was little, was practically part of the
family.
“Law have mercy!” she exclaimed as she looked
down at me. “This baby’s ripped off her diapers.”
Apparently, impatient to have someone deal with
my wet diapers, I had simply pulled the plastic to pieces in an effort to
remove them. This very early memory marks the impatience that has characterized
much of my life.
As a culture, we are impatient people. We want
everything now, and this unwillingness to wait, save, or use restraint has no
doubt enslaved Americans to many a vice, debt, or heartbreak. I was no
different. I was always striving for everything in the immediate—whether it was
a husband, a baby, a bestselling novel, a different place to live, or just that
thing I saw in the store—I struggled throughout my life with waiting on God’s
timing.
Now in my forties, I’m just starting to get the
hang of it. Jumping to that stone out in the middle of the lake before going to the Lord in prayer or seeking advice is a
sure way of ending up in the lake. (Or
covered in plastic strips of dirty diaper). Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has
made everything beautiful in His time.” Over the years I’ve found that many of
my prayers were answered but much later than the original prayer. Knowing my
character all too well, God forced me to wait for so many things because He
wanted me to learn patience, the art of delayed gratification, and humility. I
find that I’ve appreciated the delayed blessings much more than I might have
had they come in the immediate.
Zeroing in on the future, I see many things
coming together in terms of my career, callings, and creativity. A steady,
persistent prayer life and a disciplined willingness to work toward my goals
are the things that sustain me daily.
And music. There is always the music…
I've enjoyed being a part of the A-to-Z Challenge this year in my walk down memory lane. The daily posts are sometimes to tough to upkeep, but the challenge is well worth it in the end. Another exercise in discipline.
If you were a participant, what was your experience with the A-to-Z Challenge this year?
