Longing for Your Dream? Practice.

I’ve been thinking, that in my quest to live a quiet(er) life, too often I think of my YiaYia and the little two room house she lived in, as if turning Waldonesque would center my heart.  I realize, logically, that this is not so, that discontent is not easily assuaged by change in circumstance or locale.  But I do think that, much like an unbalanced washing machine, ignoring or suppressing or putting off those little wisps of dreams or desires doesn’t soften the walk; it just bangs away inside, louder and louder, causing damage.  Some would say, as Christians, this is prime opportunity to”die to self”.  But what if it is just that, alone, just “dying”?  Sometimes you need to stop the machine, rearrange everything, and restart.

Everyone has a dream; mine is that I crave a simpler life.   I want to depend on my garden and use the store as a nicety.  I want to be without debt, too.  But a life of simplicity is not free of hard work, and I’m not sure our family is ever going to be ready to pull the plug and “restart”.  But too many folks–and I have been guilty–are dreaming of things *way out there* in Someday Land while at the same time forgoing the time and opportunity to practice for it right here, right now.

Do you dream of being an artist?  Then practice and do a drawing or a painting everyday.

Do you dream of becoming a blacksmith, a baker, a dog-trainer?  Then read a little on the subject(s) every week.

You can pick at projects, here 15 minutes and there another chapter and tomorrow another row of knitting.  It all adds up, it moves forward, it inches towards something that feels Right and Good.

Practice.

And someday you might have pumpkins and squash enough to feed your family for the year.

You might see glimmers of homeschooling success.

You may realize, hey, I know how to grow, harvest, powder, use and prepare all sorts of foods and medicines with garlic! (Call I call myself an herbalist yet?)

I’m a long way from living the life I desire, but in this time of waiting I’ve learned that today is all I have.  And today, at the very least, I can practice.

Blessings,