GM, I love your comments because they push me further. One thing I know for sure-- I don't know how God thinks. I don't know His perspective.
When He says, "His ways are not our ways," I think this sentence is filled with the deepest kind of implications. He knows us, but we cannot comprehend Him. However, I wish I knew more, because I get so impatient with Him.
And it doesn't pay to get impatient with God. In fact, maybe that's the whole trip. (Sorry, if I sound a little bitter today.) I think feeling long-lasting pain just doesn't pay off. It’s simple economics. Nature says if you don't grow, you can't just stay the same; you wither and die, or someone has to cut off the brown withered part and throw it away. My problem is that I can't seem to cut off my own "withering" parts. (Wow. Poor analogy.)
Pain is familiar, but I hate it. Some parts of my past can still make me gasp and actually double over from the sharp edges of memories: the comfort of laying my head on a husband's shoulder during a dull sacrament meeting, waking up to a full house of laughing kids, barking dogs, and the smell of pancakes, racing a fox on my own horse on our own land— so much of it is washed over with false sunshine that I even forget the dark holes I skirted--big holes that Megan and Beau fell into. Some of my pain is "long lasting" because I still stare it in the face while I watch them suffer from MY decisions. This pain--the pain over your father, the ache over lost relationships, or sharp betrayals that should not have happened-- can't be "silly." It's too physical, too busy etching scars on our universe. But, I believe getting lost in it wastes our time. However, sometimes I get so lost in those dark corners, James; it takes me weeks to fight back out. If God could tell me how to cut this away--even if He said to use a knife--I'd do it in a second. That would be easy. (I think motivation for most “cutters” is to get rid of pain. Too bad it doesn’t work.)
Can God cut away pain? I believe He can, but it's conditioned on more spirituality and more obedience than I can give Him. To me, this is the great tragedy: The Atonement can heal and is able to work now--not just to redeem us from sin, but to bring us peace--but I'm not strong enough to claim it. I have grown old, all frozen up with fear, and I don't think, anymore, that the “mermaids will sing for me.”
But, James, you are young and creative, and, for you, nothing is set in stone yet. Faith can still move your mountains. I, at least, strongly believe in you (just so long as you don't point out mixed metaphors in this post). In fact, I predict this: you will stay faithful to your wife, you will greatly respect your own sons, you will teach others to be honest, and I will live to see your name in print (Oh, also, you will dedicate your second book of poetry to me for predicting such a wonderful future).
5 comments:
Sharon, his name is now in print! He's a published poet! I'm sorry to cut in on this pretty intimate conversation with you guys, James and Sharon, but this post has really touched me this morning and I want to say something.
Sharon, James' and my bodies might be a little younger than yours is these days, but your spirit is just as ancient yet active as ours are. You ARE full of strength and faith you just need to balance that with humility and kick despair the hell out.
No, I don't think pain is silly either, although sometimes I try to silly it out of my life since I never got into cutting. Silly works momentarily for me, but has created a lot of lonely tears afterward. I don't think your post is depressing. It felt good, actually, to read some of your new writing. I predict you will live a long while yet and continue to inspire and heal and challenge great friends and blood brothers and have your own name in print, again, for all of us to carry proudly in our libraries. That's what I predict. Don't cut yourself short.
You ought to look up JG's poem from Outlet back in 2002, 2003? GM has a fabulous poem in there, too. In fact, I think the two of them tied for first place. Anyway, JG has a line in there about the "precision of a surgeon" or something along the lines of cutting out something you no longer want in your soul with a scalpel. I would go find it and send a copy to you but I don't think I could read it right now. You should, though.
Anyway, thanks for posting.
Em
Sharon,
Thank you. That was a beautiful post and I feel bad that when I come to your blog I begin with the intention of leaving witty, fun comments but instead end up with something that prompted your response.
First off, if I know anything, I know God is my father. It's a strange knowledge to have buried deep but I have built a testimony around it. If I focus on this one truth, it helps me get through a lot.
I don't understand the way God thinks though I'm starting to understand the necessity of free will. I think God's power is more magnificent because he doesn't swoop down and deliver us from danger, humiliation, and worse. There's something comforting in a God that is not fickle, that doesn't play sides with his children.
I get lost, too. It seems like I've had a lot of success lately, but the truth is that success came after almost a year of wondering what the hell I'm doing and why did I ever think I was a good writer. One of my securities in life is an assurance in my own talents. When that was taken away, I felt rudderless.
Thank you for your confidence.
Ha, GM, don't you ever come to my blog with the intention of leaving "witty, fun" comments. Though it's often entertaining, and I do join in, I'm more often bored by wit and fun and silliness now. It is better to talk of God, whom I continue to have a troubled relationship with. (Sometimes, I turn from Him because I'm afraid He will answer my prayers again.)
Well, I'll keep remembering that I'm supposed to wink or give you some kind of sign if I'm joking.
Second book of poetry, eh? Done. Look in the flap. Your name will be there.
Flap? I meant dedication page. Olympic fever has my brain all a flutter.
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