Continuing

Continuing the line of thought about where I am versus where I was and where the students are: during my practice this morning, as I did the pyramid pose and stretched my palms flat to the floor with ease, I thought of how easily I have forgotten the place I was and how long it has taken me to get where I am now. The joy of the present has swallowed up the hardships and necessary patience of the past. And yet, as I began to judge myself for not being able to remember the pain of a certain stretch or my own inability to balance, I had to stop and remember the mercy of the dilemma I now find myself in.

The forgetting of pain and inadequacy is one of the greatest joys God offers us. We grow and it's hard but when we are past it we look back with joy and urge others on! If I truly remembered every step of the long journey, would I eagerly encourage students to just keep pushing forward so they could find the joy? It seems that this frail human needs the joy of the moment to help others look forward to the joy and also to be willing to take another step and another journey. 

So although I have to constantly remind myself to be patient with my students and compassionate with where they are, I am no longer fighting against my present joy or trying too hard to remember the pain. After all, I still have quite the journey to take and I'm going to need all the present joy I can have to get through it. :)
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