Plateau or Practice

Last updated on: March 23, 2010 at 12:05 pm by Melissa

Plateau or Practice 2010-03-23T12:05:00-06:00 Melissa

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The teacher came into the college classroom and silently placed a small pot onto the table. She measured some dirt into the pot, added a tiny seed, and carefully covered it up with dirt. Then she watched the pot. Not surprisingly nothing happened. We looked at each other amused, where was she going with this?

She pretended to consult a book and then carefully watered the pot. She looked at her watch impatiently. Nothing happened. She looked out over her class and asked “What am I doing wrong? Why isn’t it growing yet?”

Several students threw out a few answers “It needs sun”, “You just have to wait”, “It takes time”. The teacher nodded thoughtfully and started her lesson.

“How many of us will have students like this someday? As teachers we know the dream and the vision we have for our students. We have a good idea of what will get them there, they will need certain skills. So we assign them the work they need to do to grow to the goal we have for them. And if they work on what we have given them to practice, and stay persistent, there is every reason to believe that they will reach the goal.”

“But what about the students that won’t. The students that get tired, or bored with what we have assigned for them to do. They don’t want to practice the same thing everyday, especially because they cannot see what it is building towards. They have no way of understanding the components needed for our goal. They feel as though they are going no where. As teachers it is our job to teach our students that most of our lives are spent on plateau’s like this, where nothing seems to be happening. The trick is to learn how to be happy and productive regardless.”

The lesson went on from there, but I was already blown away. I had struggled throughout my life feeling as though I was headed no where. Nothing was happening.Why was I doing the same thing every day? What was I waiting for? What was I working towards? What was the point of it all? Why did it seem so often that God had forgotten me? Like He was busy elsewhere, like he couldn’t possibly have any good or important plans for my life.

But what if I had been wrong?

What if God was just like me as a teacher? How many times had I gotten frustrated when a student came week after week and hadn’t practiced what I had assigned. I had worked that week to prepare a new lesson plan, moving them into the new section of material they had been longing for, only to have them arrive unprepared and being forced to slow the pace once more. I felt bad for their disapointment, but there was no way they would be ready for the next task if they had barely even looked at the previous assignment.

This was not a Christian class, the whole point was that most of our lives are spent on plateau’s. That we need to be happy and productive even when life wasn’t exciting and we seemed to be going nowhere. But it left me wondering if I was like the lazy student, bored with what I been assigned to practice and learn.

Did God have the next step all prepared for me? Was He waiting breathlessly each day to see if I would faithfully practice what I had been given? Hoping that I would be ready to move into the next stage of working towards His goal for me?

The classroom had faded away. I was filled with joy. I was special. God hadn’t abandoned me, I wasn’t the hopelessly untalented student that he had no plans for. He had been there all along, patiently waiting for me to practice. I could hardly believe it! As God’s student, I knew for the first time that God did have plans for me, He had a goal. Even when I couldn’t see where I was headed, or what the end result would be, He knew.

He knew where he was leading me, and he was teaching me step by step. Tears came to my eyes when I thought of how long I had fought against it all. Digging in my heels and refusing to put in any real effort because the task was “boring”. Waiting, frustrated that all of the moments in my life weren’t exciting and fulfilling. And never realizing that I was making my task take that much longer and more frustrating by not trusting that God had an end goal in mind and faithfully working on what He had already given to me.

I’m not sure if anyone else heard what I heard in that lecture, but I danced out of the classroom that day.

Psalms 37: 3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good that you may dwell in the land and live secure. Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart’s desire. Commit your way to the LORD; trust that God will act.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 12, 2010

Quick Takes #11- Links Edition

Next Post

March 25, 2010 My love-hate relationship with modesty

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abuse Atheist/Agnostic Conservative Christianity Depression Discipline Education Encouragement Feminism God Healing LGBTQ Life Marriage My Childhood Parenting Politics Reflections Series Shame Uncategorized Updates Who Am I

Select a Month September 2015 May 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who predicted Babylon's fall?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ezekiel Daniel Isaiah Jeremiah