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Day 13
Thus, all the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. Solomon brought in the things that his father David had dedicated, and stored the silver, gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God. --II Chronicles 5:1 It’s wonderful when the work is done. We all know the feeling that accompanies the completion of a project. Our spirit feels lithe and buoyant. We want to celebrate, we want to talk, we want to give in to all the energy flowing inside our veins. It’s a rush to feel that something we have planned and prepared for has come to fruition. It’s often the promise of that rush that keeps us going in the work we are doing when it is boring, or riddled with unforeseen problems, or sabotaged by others, or emotionally or physically draining, or when its worthiness is questionable, or when we want nothing else but to simply stop it. We know that at the other end of the work lies a feeling so fulfilling that even the greatest difficulty that threatens us is never more than the slightest scratch experienced by a child whose excessive eagerness has led to a skinned knee. But, while we enjoy the feeling that is lobbed over us when our labor is complete, it is the work itself that is responsible for the feeling. It could be easy to desire to rest forever in the feeling of supple nimbleness, but that supple nimbleness is the result of the labor that claims our being, our time, our worrying, our creativity, our problem-solving capacity, our blood, our sweat, our tears. Oh yes, the feeling when the work is done is wonderful. But it might be more significant to be attentive to the movement of our mind and emotions in the very midst of the work – for it is then that we are truly and fully alive. O God, like the tightrope walker who must be attentive even to the last step before reaching the platform, keep me from rushing ahead only to find myself falling uncontrollably to my own creative death. These meditations by Renee Miller first appeared at explorefaith.org Please use the share button at the top to share with friends and loved ones. Thanks!
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