I’m doing some drawing these days. Just for fun. Always wanted to. Now I am. In a video I watched recently one of my favorite online art instructors Alphonso Dunn stresses the importance of patience relative to the artist’s task. He says, "Don’t rush your drawings. The faster you draw the more you increase your margin of error." So, s-l-o-w-l-y, I’m learning the truth of which Alphonso speaks! I am realizing that whenever I consciously exercise patience I actually draw something that pleases me. And when I don’t? Well, then I don’t.
This is all good—but nothing new, right?
Then, while “patiently” drawing one evening, I had one of those “Aha!” moments. It occurred to me—no, it struck me—that in addition to learning how to draw, this experience is serving as the portal or window to a much larger lesson in the fine art of patience--a lesson I don't just want to learn--I need to learn. Fast!
This is how I often experience wisdom* revealing its “art” in my life. Wisdom is everywhere and always…which means that wherever I am and whatever I'm doing, it is always right here right now ready and waiting to awaken me to the deep truths of my life (the ones that lie just beneath my surface, seeking out the cracks in my highly polished and protective ego where they can seep through to the surface of my awareness.) In this instance, via the medium of drawing, I feel wisdom beckoning me to consciously practice patience so that I can come to know its place, its purpose, and its power in all areas of my life.
So how do I draw patience? One way is simply through practicing the wisdom that its presence and potential are right here, right now—whether I am or not.
"Above all, trust in the slow work of God." **
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
*(If you prefer to replace the word “wisdom” with “God” please do so. Personally, these days I find the term “God” to be too small and confining as I often hear it being used by both Christians and non-Christians alike. This is not new either--and is probably a reason why “wisdom” is only one among many names for God in the bible. For examples, see Exodus 31:3 and I Corinthians 1:30)
**See Chardin's beautiful poem "Trust in the Slow Work of God" at www.deeper-devotion.net/slow-work-of-God.html
