Plodding Along

One of the best things about "moments of clarity" is that the "clarity" which comes usually requires some attention and work. This way the benefits of the process are valued as much, or even more than, the result.

I have always shied away from "crisis" theology - the belief that we are changed in a moment: at the front of the church, at the hands of person praying for you, at the whisper of your own prayer. I am NOT saying that there is no change in a crisis. This can surely happen. My own experience however is that there are many people who depend on the crisis and live from one crisis event to another - the reality is that there is not usually much change in their lives.

The process however makes more sense to me. This is the fact that change generally requires hard work, determined choices and sweat equity.

A good word picture may be our memory. Some people have a photographic memory - they can read something once or look at something once and remember it without much effort. Most of us are not so fortunate. We had to memorize multiplication tables, words, formulas, directions, etc. It required time and work and we have experienced benefits from the effort.

My "moment of clarity" has required continual effort. Thinking differently. Acting differently. Moving differently. I value the time put in and am glad for the result. Damn it's hard. I keep reminding myself that I put one foot before another and move forward. In our house we call this "plodding." Aptly named after our hound-mix dog, Lily. When she is on a walk, she will go the length of the leash and lean forward, moving toward whatever her intended target is - she is plodding. So am I.

WH