Thursday December 30, 2010

1.  Laying the Foundation.  The groundwork has been laid.  Do you not see that?
Don't you understand that all you have gone through was for a purpose?

There was a reason, a good reason, for the waiting, the struggle, the pain, and finally the release.

You
have been prepared. The same way a builder must first tear down and dig
out the old to make way for the new, your Higher Power has been
cleaning out the foundation in your life.

Have
you ever watched a builder at construction? When he begins his work, it
looks worse than before he began. What is old and decayed must be
removed. What is insufficient or too weak to support the new structure
must be removed, replaced, or reinforced. No builder who cares about his
or her work would put a new surface over an insufficient support
system. The foundation would give way. It would not last.

If
the finished product is to be what is desired, the work must be done
thoroughly from the bottom up. As the work progresses, it often appears
to be an upheaval. Often, it does not seem to make sense. It may appear
to be wasted time and effort, because we cannot see the final product
yet.

But it is so important that
the foundation be laid properly if the fun work, the finishing touches,
is to be all that we want it to be.

This
long, hard time in your life has been for laying of groundwork. It was
not without purpose, although at times the purpose may not have been
evident or apparent.

Now, the foundation has been laid. The structure is solid. Now, it is time for the finishing touches, the completion.

It is time to move the furniture in and enjoy the fruits of the labor.

Congratulations.
You have had the patience to endure the hard parts. You have trusted,
surrendered, and allowed your Higher Power and the Universe to heal and
prepare you.

Now, you shall enjoy the good that has been planned. Now, you shall see the purpose.
Now, it shall all come together and make sense. Enjoy.

Today,
I will surrender to the laying of the foundation - the groundwork - in
my life. If it is time to enjoy the placement of the finishing touches, I
will surrender to that, and enjoy that too. I will remember to be
grateful for a Higher Power that is a Master Builder and only has my
best interests in mind, creating and constructing my life. I will be
grateful for my Higher Power's care and attention to details in laying
the foundation - even though I become impatient at times. I will stand
in awe at the beauty of God's finished product.

The other reading I read today is a reminder about honesty and integrity and how not being impeccable with our promises to ourselves and others can be damaging. So telling the truth - even to ourselves like keeping deadlines or getting things done we want to complete and not lying to ourselves is important. But not meeting deadlines can involve other issues and can lead to lying if one is not careful.

2.  Telling the truth is a pretty hard thing.  —Thomas Wolfe

Lying
can be like sailing choppy waters. The more we lie, the higher the
waves get, and the harder the sailing. When we lie, we feel we've failed
ourselves and others. We have to work hard to cover up our lies, and
the fear of someone finding out is always with us.

If
we ask God for courage to tell the truth, we can be like the sailboat
on a clear and calm day. We can enjoy the small waves and the light warm
breeze we've given ourselves. Honesty is a good habit, and is easy.
With a little faith in our own worth, we can choose the calm waters'
honesty and apply our creativity to new, growth-oriented activities
instead of covering up old mistakes.

How can I smooth my waters right now?