Natalie Lane Eden, LLC
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Fully licensed Faith-Based Clinical Counseling
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Illinois)
Licensed Professional Counselor (Pennsylvania)
My Blog
Blog
Going from Point A to Point B
Posted on January 14, 2015 at 5:51 PM |
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The Best Laid Plans… We’ve all experienced it. We
make plans and nothing seems to go the way that we anticipated. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go
awry,” is an often repeated quote from the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Wiktionary states that it is an “expression used to signify the futility of
making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.” The truth of the matter is that nothing is
certain. Sacred Scripture states that
the “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot
tell where it comes from or where it is going.” (John 3:8, NIV). With all of this in mind some might
conclude: “Why even get out of bed?” I often encounter clients who
are hesitant about undertaking new endeavors for fear of failure and/or rejection. There are those who recoil at the idea of being
a trailblazer. I have heard many a young
person who are not willing to take on college courses because “no one in their
family has ever done it before” and that they lack having anyone to “encourage
them to do so.” I have had clients who
are anxious about entering into relationships.
Some even excessively labor over not only the decision to marry but to
date or even ask someone to an event. There are also those who are textbook perfectionists. They don’t want to make a mistake. They
conclude, “If I can’t do it perfectly then I don’t want to do it at all.” Some refuse to take on any type of risk. But unfortunately, doing nothing is also a
decision and has its own inherent risks and shortcomings. The Joy of the Process The misfortune is what is
being overlooked about the process and what can be gained from it. The journey can actually be just as important
as the outcome. The insights, things learned,
and the experiences along the way help us to grow and to develop in ways that
we not have otherwise. Many insights can be gained on that first day of
entering into a college class. Even in relationships
that turn sour one can learn a lot about oneself and others. We can create
memories. Roadblocks in our paths can
cause us to look around and to even sometimes take time to smell the roses. Some things can also draw us closer and into
a deeper relationship with God. On Being Overwhelmed Sometimes people get overwhelmed from the prospects of opportunities. They have difficulty envisioning a plan from
start to finish. They can’t see the trees for the forest or the forest for the
trees. However, it is important to
remember that many baby steps can make up one giant step. Often it is all about one step at a time and perseverance. Often the first step, point A, is the hardest. Anyone who has ever tried to write a paper or
a book can tell you that the first sentences are the most difficult. Fortunately, unless we are stone masons, most
of the time, the first step isn’t “written in stone”. Changes can be made. The paragraphs can be revised. We can even start over. When God intervenes “Man proposes, God disposes” is a quote from Thomas A Kempis in his classic
Christian work, The Imitation of Christ. When going from Point A to B, a very vital part
of the journey is to allow God to be involved by seeking out His will. I was once telling my sister that “God can
draw a straight path through our squiggly lines” when my 6-year-old niece
interrupted and said, “No Aunt Nat, actually He draws a Cross.” I have been pondering this thought. From the mouth of a babe she is correct. If “Man proposes, God disposes” then often
the proposal comes in the form of a Cross. Sometimes we find ourselves taking
many right turns along the straight and narrow path. Rather than ranting and
raving about the wrench in our craftily designed plans, we can choose to accept
the obstacles as opportunities to grow in ways that we would not have otherwise. The Cross in our roadblock is something that can
actually make us much stronger and even more humble. In the overall analysis, the squiggly lines
that we create with our mistakes actually can take on characteristics more
beautiful than just a straight plain sketch.
Most importantly it is not that we fall down, but that we learn to find
the grace to get back up. It is not such
a terrible thing that we make a mistake.
In spite of the circumstances, we have to be willing get back up, to get
out of bed, go to confession, back to the Sacraments, or do whatever needed to keep
on going in whatever direction God has pointed.
It is also important to realize that we are never completely alone--
that God can have our back and direct our way.
Even though at times we may think that in going from A to B we are “walking
through the valley of the shadow of death.” |
Categories
- Year of Faith, Jesus Knocking (1)
- Almsgiving (1)
- Charity (4)
- Lent (1)
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1)
- Following God's Will (7)
- Procrastination (2)
- Living in the present moment (1)
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- Divine Mercy (1)
- St. Faustina (1)
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- You are loved (2)
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- Hope, God's Promises (2)
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