Over Time

To my son Tommy,

Things don't happen all at once, or at least not usually.  Things happen over an ever changing fluid state of person to bring each of us to our own present situation.  Consequently, if you want to change a situation it may take a bunch of little steps building upon themselves to "fix the problem". I don't really like that term "fix the problem" and prefer to talk about changing realities or changing situations and circumstances.  "Fixing" seems to suggest there is an easy solution.  Many are under the mistaken notion that just make this one change, put some super glue on it, and all will be well.  They are lead to believe that years and years of little changes that brought us to the present realities can be erased in days with the right change, or the right politician, or the right act, or the right amount of contrition, or the right pill.  The reality is we must set a stable foundation and build layer upon layer to not only change our present circumstances but to make sure all the changes do not come tumbling down.  If we expect a quick fix we will only get discouraged and lose heart.  We must work to change situations the same way they were built, over time.

This thought occurred to me at my Sharing Christ course last night when the questions were posed, "When did you meet Jesus?" and "When did you commit your life to Jesus?".  I thought you might as well ask me "when did I get fat?" or better yet "when did I mature?".  Along the way there might have been moments that lead to me getting plump, but I can't say, "yeah it was thanksgiving 2002.  I had a double helping of turkey and mashed potatoes followed by too many deserts and boom I blew up like that Stay Puft marshmallow man."  But the comparison to maturity is probably more apt because who knows when they started being more and more mature and who really thinks they have hit the epitome of maturity.  Certainly not this fat fellow.  It is the same thing in my relationship with Christ, ever evolving, ever growing, no start, no beginning, no end.

That is why it is so important to understand that change comes with little steps or (to borrow from previous posts) gateways that lead each of us down our paths on the journey of life.  Sometimes it comes quickly, sometimes it is painfully slow, but the most important part is that we make sure the changes in our lives and our realities come from a good foundation. That way even if something comes by and knocks down all you have built, the solid foundation will allow you to build again.   I hope, my son, to give you that good foundation and build upon it layer by layer, over time.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo