When St. Francis of Assisi was asked what he would do if he were suddenly to learn that he would die at sunset that day he answered, "I would finish hoeing my garden." I have wondered what he meant by that reply, and this is what I think. Some people worry about the future or wonder if what they are doing really matters because something might happen to knock their work down or destroy their happiness, but they (we) need to go on hoeing and not stop. It is good to concentrate on the tasks at hand today. We cannot control the future, but we have great agency in the gift of today and how it plays out. There is meaning and purpose in what we do each day, and through our tasks we are building character.

Dorothy Van Doren wrote: "The task is still here--the house to build, the book to write, the examination to prepare for. However dark it seems today, we shall meet life better if we have fulfilled the present to the best of our ability. Today is still ours, along with the obligation to live it to the full."

 

A thoughtful daughter gifted me this book and there are some nuggets within: 

Have you ever seen a mother comfort a dirty child? Children are dirty at least 50 percent of the time anyway, but it’s still a little surprising to see a fresh and clean mother cradling a child with a bloodied nose or mud-caked trousers.  When a child needs comfort, a mother doesn’t think of maintaining her distance to keep herself clean but scoops up the child and gets right to the business of comforting. In the same way, our Father comforts us, not at a distance, but in His arms, getting bloody and muddy.  Bring your fears and hurts to the One who comforts you.  He does not flinch or retreat from the burdens you bring, from the wounds that undo you.  You will find peace in His loving embrace (pg. 57).

Peace is a stability of mind, not a stability of circumstances. The peace of God keeps our hearts calm in the midst of whatever the world throws at us (pg. 156).

Go to the source.  Don’t begin on the fringes.  When we hesitate to call out to the Lord for help, we put off the one thing that can actually bring healing and justice.  He offers us an end to weeping and a gracious ear when we call for help. Run to your watchful Father, for as soon as He hears, He will answer you.  Bring your darkest fears and your deepest secrets; bring your heartbreak and your embarrassment.  There is One who is attentive to your heart (pg. 126).

The first thing on the list is “Seek God.” Start there.  Wake up each morning with your compass pointing toward Him. Set your feet in His direction. Let the pursuit of God by your first priority…and then live (pg. 188).

A couple of nights ago I had a hard time falling asleep.  I analyzed this and tried to figure out what was happening. Was I anxious about something in the future? Not really. Was I upset about something that had happened? Not that I could think of. I finally put my finger on it--my head was so full of information that my mind was still spinning and taking it all in.  

I am reading books and listening to talks and podcasts for a big part of the day.  I have class discussions, ministering visits with a variety of people, and assignments to write.  I am drinking from a fire hose and learning so much. My mind is trying to process it all. I love being stretched.

Here are some nuggets I have been pondering:

"When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.  The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness. That is the friend who cares."

Henry Nouwen 

Hold a hand, listen, be present.

Master the present moment.

"What a precious vocation (Chaplaincy) we are a part of! To be invited into the worst moments in a person's life and attempt to bring the comfort of God to them is extremely precious."

Chaplain Stories Podcast

The opposite of anxiety is curiosity.

We have a crockpot God and a microwave mindset.

One of our sons recommended this book to me.  I'm not sure why it was so difficult for me to read and why it took so long for me to get through, but I did appreciate many of Mr. Taleb's thoughts.

Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better (pg. 3).

Less is more and usually more effective (pg. 11).

If I could predict what my day would exactly look like, I would feel a little bit dead (pg. 63).

If you are not a washing machine or a cuckoo clock—in other words, if you are alive—something deep in your soul likes a certain measure of randomness and disorder. There is a titillating feeling associated with randomness (pg. 63).