Quote from Robert Falconer by George MacDonald
'Of one thing I am pretty sure,' he resumed, 'that the same recipe Goethe gave for the enjoyment of life, applies equally to all work: "Do the thing that lies next to you." That is all our business. Hurried results are worse than none. We must force nothing, but be partakers of the divine patience. If there is one thing evident in the world's history, it is that God hasteneth not.
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I struggle with the concept of resting. . . cease striving. . . wait on the LORD. How do we reconcile Jesus' having done all that His Father sent Him to do, the ministry, the discipling, the carpentry, and this concept of resting? Maybe it is a prioritization issue. That is gratingly unspiritual. Did He just do whatever happened to seem right at the time? I have a hard time believing that. He did nothing on His own, but only what His Father was doing. How did He see? I can't ask God to give me the wisdom to see what He is doing because I know myself to be too profoundly self-centered to act accordingly or even to notice what is going on. So maybe we need to ask... What do we ask God for? The end of "The 13th Warrior" has the main character kneeling in prayer before a battle. He says,"What should have been said has not been said. What should have been done has not been done. I only ask for the ability to live these next fifteen minutes well." Should our lives look like that?
The benefit of growing up a Boy Scout is that we learn a little thing called Scout Vespers, which some troops sing at the end of Campfie went out in the woods, bonding as we are prone to do.
It goes like this:
Softly falls the light of day
As our campfire fades away
Silently each scout should ask,
"Have I done my Daily Task?
Have I kept my honor bright?
Can I guiltless sleep tonight?
Have I Done, and Have I Dared,
All I can to Be Prepared?"
Khaleeb makes a good point. If this day is the last gift I have, have I done what I can to attempt worthiness of it?
So there's this High School in Australia, Prince Alfred's School, that was founded by Methodists about a hundred and fifty years ago. They needed a motto and someone just made this one up: Fac Fortia Et Patere. Do brave things, and Endure. Latin is fun though. Here, 'Endure' may also be translated "Go Beyond".
The phrase stuck and has slipped into and out of british culture for the last century, and everyone assumes it's Virgil or Shakespeare. But this wonderful Conviction- this noble plan- comes from some guy who was probably a shepherd's grandson who just loved kids.
Hold the passion, treasure every moment for the blassing of action or respite that it provides, always do your best, and Go Beyond.
Take care,
ROB
p.s. Cool point for even knowing who Goethe is. Kudos to you.
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