The house was old; the windows were shattered; the paint had blistered and peeled; the front steps crumbled. There it sat—alone amidst a few living birch trees. It was dilapidated, decrepit, ramshackle… clearly an eyesore to any passerby. A few weeks ago, I happened to be the passerby of this lonely house; my initial thought was “the wrecking ball needs to pay a visit.” But as I peered through the hollow window, I saw a wall… and immediately my creative juices started churning.
My mind started saying, “What if those walls could talk? What bedtime stories would I hear? What arguments would be retold? What parties would be relived?” I didn’t know; I didn’t know if the house was one filled with happiness and joy or one filled with strife and turmoil. It didn’t much matter now; I didn’t ponder long and went along my way, but I kept thinking of the house… the stories that could be told, if only the walls could talk.
My desire for a story from a house came a little too boldly this past month. It’s a story that still leaves me shivering a few days after its telling, and I don’t even know the ending yet. But I’ll share…It started with a remodeling project—finishing a room. Late one evening, it was determined that a wall needed to be removed, so out came the work gloves and tools. About halfway through the demolition, a question was raised, “what is this?” while nine cassette tapes were extracted from the wall. The tapes were tightly bound with rubber bands and labeled 1-9 and 666, the mark of the beast. The tapes were quickly tossed aside until the first tape finds its way to the cassette player a few days later. And thus a story of a life not known unfolds… In one tape, it’s all there, every ounce of detail identifying the recorded individual. And then came the purpose for the tapes… concisely said, “so one day the truth will be made known.” The story is halted for now, and only a narration of a life lived is being heard.
The “truth” still remains undisclosed… and which tape will illuminate the darkness awaits to be played… outside of the wall. It is not known that if the one who placed the tapes in the wall may still be living; it is not known when the tapes may have been placed in the wall; it’s not known whether the “one” will return to rightfully claim the hidden truth, but it is known who the tapes are intended for.
Returning back to the old house, I wonder whether the question is “what would the walls say” or more so “what do the walls hold?” The walls can only conceal for a short time, but eventually one day a hole in the wall will be made… and the truth will be revealed. If the walls could talk, what secrets are waiting to be disclosed?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Carma’s Corner: Perseverance
Turn on any television. Switch on any radio. Pick up any newspaper or news magazine. The overwhelming news bulletins have lately been on the political protests and uprisings in Cairo, Egypt. Thousands upon thousands of people have gathered for one sole purpose, to oust the thirty year reign of President Hosni Mubarak. Of course, the people who have convened to support the maintaining of President Mubarak’s reign cannot be disregarded. Even though these two groups of people are seeking different political measures, they do share one characteristic: perseverance.
What exactly is perseverance? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, perseverance is “the fact, process, condition, or quality of persevering.” But if persevering is not understood, the definition of perseverance does not shed much light on the actual meaning of the word. In the dictionary, persevering is defined as a “constant persistence in a course of action, purpose, or state; steadfast pursuit of an aim; tenacious assiduity or endeavor.” Perseverance is the noun form of the verb “to persevere.” In short, all these definitions can be simply summarized in the concept of “keep moving on no matter what.”
In Egypt, the anti-Mubarak squad is determined to bring about the end of Mubarak’s leadership, whereas the faithful followers of Mubarak are dedicated to ensuring his presidency doesn’t come to a premature end. The devotion and perseverance of each side has resulted in unrest, turmoil, and uncertainty. Which side will claim victory; whose cries will be answered, or what results will occur from this outpouring of dissatisfaction? I do not know. But I do know perseverance gets results.
Perseverance has always been an important ingredient in my life. At times, I like to imagine God writing down my recipe while He was creating me; maybe the recipe looked as follows: 2 drops of patience; 1 drop of knowledge; 1 drop of kindness; ½ drop of humor; ½ drop of cheerfulness; 1 drop of love; and 1 drop of perseverance... ½ jar of perseverance. Add the breath of life. I realize my imagination is not an accurate portrayal of my creation, but I do believe God has blessed me with extra ounces of perseverance, especially since He is the author of my life and knew what my days would entail before even one hour had been recorded.
He knew perseverance would be needed in the countless, long hospitalizations; He knew perseverance would be required to achieve education; He knew perseverance would be in high demand by my physical limitations. But He also knew that He was going to use my perseverance for a greater plan.
Although perseverance has played a significant role in my life, perseverance doesn’t constitute the successes of my life—not my education, not my career, and not even my disposition. No, my success is found solely in God’s gifts to me. I believe He gave me extra perseverance in order to use my limitations for His glory. Oh, there are days when my limitations scream “don’t even try… you can’t do it.” But then my heart yells “how can you ignore your makeup… surely God didn’t give you extra perseverance for storage… use it for Him.” So… I keep moving… and will continue to do so with God’s help.
Back in Egypt, perseverance has drawn people together to seek political change, to end Mubarak’s control, and to create history… all of which will not happen without God. In the same way, without God, my perseverance may have provided me with a few successes, but, with God, my perseverance is unconquerable… and has given me a lifetime of blessings.
I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe!
What exactly is perseverance? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, perseverance is “the fact, process, condition, or quality of persevering.” But if persevering is not understood, the definition of perseverance does not shed much light on the actual meaning of the word. In the dictionary, persevering is defined as a “constant persistence in a course of action, purpose, or state; steadfast pursuit of an aim; tenacious assiduity or endeavor.” Perseverance is the noun form of the verb “to persevere.” In short, all these definitions can be simply summarized in the concept of “keep moving on no matter what.”
In Egypt, the anti-Mubarak squad is determined to bring about the end of Mubarak’s leadership, whereas the faithful followers of Mubarak are dedicated to ensuring his presidency doesn’t come to a premature end. The devotion and perseverance of each side has resulted in unrest, turmoil, and uncertainty. Which side will claim victory; whose cries will be answered, or what results will occur from this outpouring of dissatisfaction? I do not know. But I do know perseverance gets results.
Perseverance has always been an important ingredient in my life. At times, I like to imagine God writing down my recipe while He was creating me; maybe the recipe looked as follows: 2 drops of patience; 1 drop of knowledge; 1 drop of kindness; ½ drop of humor; ½ drop of cheerfulness; 1 drop of love; and 1 drop of perseverance... ½ jar of perseverance. Add the breath of life. I realize my imagination is not an accurate portrayal of my creation, but I do believe God has blessed me with extra ounces of perseverance, especially since He is the author of my life and knew what my days would entail before even one hour had been recorded.
He knew perseverance would be needed in the countless, long hospitalizations; He knew perseverance would be required to achieve education; He knew perseverance would be in high demand by my physical limitations. But He also knew that He was going to use my perseverance for a greater plan.
Although perseverance has played a significant role in my life, perseverance doesn’t constitute the successes of my life—not my education, not my career, and not even my disposition. No, my success is found solely in God’s gifts to me. I believe He gave me extra perseverance in order to use my limitations for His glory. Oh, there are days when my limitations scream “don’t even try… you can’t do it.” But then my heart yells “how can you ignore your makeup… surely God didn’t give you extra perseverance for storage… use it for Him.” So… I keep moving… and will continue to do so with God’s help.
Back in Egypt, perseverance has drawn people together to seek political change, to end Mubarak’s control, and to create history… all of which will not happen without God. In the same way, without God, my perseverance may have provided me with a few successes, but, with God, my perseverance is unconquerable… and has given me a lifetime of blessings.
I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe!
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