The material presented
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information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I wonder sometimes, when will I be through having to be patient. (I just saw my HP patiently shaking his head at me, I think He thinks it isn't nice to write to people while I am sitting on the pity pot! )
I was given the gift of a vision this last week. A vision meant to help me to be patient. I was thinking about how I know that my HP, whom I call God, has this wonderful plan for me. And I was acknowledging that He has been so good to me my whole life, even when I didn't recognize it. He has always been there, patient with me. Watching me make mistakes. Watching me exert my free will. Knowing that I was afraid of Him. That on some levels, I denied His very existance. Through it all He has loved me.
Now it is my turn to be patient with Him.
The vision I received came to me as I was talking with a friend at an AA/Al-Anon conference last weekend. We were discussing gratitude. And, of course, we were discussing patience.
Specifically we were talking about that wonderful plan the our HP's had in mind for us. You know the one. The one that isn't entirely here yet. The one that after a while in this program, I have started getting glimpses of. Somedays I get whole chapters of this plan. And it truly is all good. But there are those parts of my life that I don't get a clear view of yet. And to me they are significant parts! And when I was thinking about those parts last weekend I saw a Christmas tree. Under the Christmas tree were beautifully wrapped Presents. Those Presents were God's gifts to me, the one's I have yet to receive. And as I looked at them, I felt the excitement I did as a child looking at the tree...anxious to see what was in those boxes. Frustrated that I have to wait until it is time to open them. Anticipation.
Sometimes God gives me the nod to say "Go ahead, my son, you can pick one up...try to guess what is inside, if you must". And so of course I do! I hold it, feel its weight, maybe even shake it a little to try to figure out what is inside. But God knows how to wrap a present! No movement inside, betrays the secret inside.
After a while I look up at God, and see that he is smiling at me and he tells me, "David, not yet my son, you must wait a while longer....but trust Me... the wait will be worth it!"
I set the box back down. And feel somewhat sad to release it from my grasp. But I am trying to be good. I am trying to be patient. I trust my Father.
It is quite the image I received. It is something that I will be using, everytime I get frustrated that the plan is not revealing itself to me fast enough.
Presents under the tree.
And so I sit here tonight, feeling like a spoiled kid..lol. I know my Father, that guy gives wonderful presents! I know they are coming. I know he wants me to be the happiest kid on the block. I even understand that the present might not be the one I think I want. That I think I need! (No Davey, you cant have that, you'll just put your eye out!)
But tonight! I just want to open up a box. Can I just open one???? Pleassssssee???
I wish that ribbon around those boxes was a little easier to get off too! Yours in Recovery, David
What a wonderful post David! And thank you, I needed to hear this since I am struggling with patience myself. Your vision helped me to better see that God (also my HP) does have wonderful things in store for me, but I need to wait until I am ready to receive them.
What a wonderful analogy David. A child waiting to open his presents at Christmas and wondering what's inside. I, too, will carry this image with me when I think of patience.
ok, then I'm the kid that is caught tearing at the corner of the paper, lol, and being told that if I don't quit doing that then I'm going to have to wait even longer to open it. Geeze, can't leave things alone -- pink bunny PJs hmmm that's what I waited so long for?? Hp's sense of hummor...LOL
That was a great post, and as always spoke right to me. I want to believe that I am patient... and I put on a great show, but the reality is that I want things done in my time and that just doesn't happen.
Thank you so much for being here, and sharing!
Take care of you!
__________________
"Good judgement comes from experience... experience comes from bad judgement" - unknown
I really really really really needed to read that one David! Lately I have been getting glimpse after glimpse of the presents under the tree. And while im allowed to look, and maybe shake them a little, opening them has been out of the question. Its been rather frustrating because I don't understand God's plan and plus Im young and anxious lol. I am learning however, that I have become much more comfortable in the present inspecting, not as hard to choose the ones that are better for me to try and open first. I need to take a step back tho and let the tree continue to fill up and wait for the ok from the Man upstairs to let me have at it. I have to trust that I am being prepared for great things in my life, and I know that I am. Even with the most recent hardship in my life, I see the silver lining, and it will help me down the road in my career. Perhaps we can just have a glass of eggnog and sit back by the fire til we are allowed to open the presents!
(((((((((((((((david))))))))))))))))) You are so very very awesome!!!!! I too need to hear about the presents under the tree and let HP help me open them up!!!!!!!!! I keep opening up the presents expecting something different and I keep getting slaped!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Again Thanks for helping me to look to HP in gradituted for all the wonderful things he has done for me!!!!!!