Waiting - Interim Time

If there's  one thing I've learned about myself from these last couple of year's vocational wanderings, it's that I find waiting sooo difficult. The frustrating  process of one step forward, two steps back, hopes raised, then dashed as once again a new path followed up leads to another seeming dead-end. On a good day I joke wryly about learning curves and the need for Prayer, Patience, Pro-activity and Persistence in equal measures; during the bad ones, it's all I can do to stop myself flinging myself down in the middle of said road and howling in frustration.

Then every once in a blue moon,  just as I'm on the point of giving up, as earlier this week, somebody or something happens; in this case some practical  affirmation from a friend  that they at least, see me as being on the right path which gives me renewed hope,  albeit a tiny sliver, but just enough to help me up and onto the road again.

So on I plod. The other week, I  was congratulated on my excellent (for my age) blood pressure reading; the practice nurse remarked that she could tell that I  was a walker; it's reflected in my level of physical fitness. Look on the bright side: the current trials must surely be having a similar effect on the spiritual.

Borrowed my own book back from the church Lent library today just so that I could look over this old favourite from Benedictus by the late John O'Donahue. These lines are from For the interim time.

...You are in this time of interim

          Where everything seems witheld...

           As far as you can, hold your confidence.
           Do not allow your confusion to squander
           This call which is loosening
            Your roots in false ground,
            That you might come free
             From all you had outgrown.