Openness must be limited, however, or integrity is compromised. To open without reservation or discernment, without conservation of what has already been discovered, to let known context slip away in a flurry of untested ideas can lead to disintegration, confusion, uncertainty. Rebuilding is then necessary.
Better to be conservative in one's acceptance of new ideas and rejection of old. To swoop up others' notions like prairie wildflowers can lead to mistakes. Oops, there's poison ivy in there. Not good. Healing must ensue. To indiscriminately discard a considered philosophy is foolish.
Better to take the time to look things over carefully, honestly yes, slowly, steadily. Mistakes can be avoided. To replace one incorrect conclusion for another is pointless when it's the truth one is after. Worse to replace a truth with an untruth to achieve peaceful 'compromise', 'understanding,' or an unhealthy 'tolerance.'
True understanding comes from knowledge and knowledge from study, from listening and observing. Honesty requires that a person accept what is discovered whether comfortable or not. Truth is truth. Thankfully, it seems to be introduced in easy to swallow portions most of the time. A little more...a little more...and still a little more, building on the base.
When introduced to frightening, discouraging, repulsive information, hearts can break. But if true, better to have an aching heart than blithely skip and grin through self-concocted or ill-taught marshmallow fantasies.
Life hurts.
For the receptive, God's timely balms often bring comfort to the darkest of hurts.
For these hurts and comforts I praise and worship the Creator. Because I trust that life really is working for my good, the good of others but more importantly it ultimately works for God's purposes.
After all, it's not about me - or you - its about the Storyteller and the Story.
5 comments:
Well put, Cherie, and applicable to at least two circumstances I'm dealing with lately. I've read this twice and will return again. Thanks.
Thanks, Deanna.
Oh, so very very wise. Sometimes the hurt makes very rich compost - from which beautiful things grow.
"Better to take the time to look things over carefully, honestly yes, slowly, steadily. Mistakes can be avoided. To replace one incorrect conclusion for another is pointless when it's the truth one is after. Worse to replace a truth with an untruth to achieve peaceful 'compromise', 'understanding,' or an unhealthy 'tolerance.'"
I've been doing a LOT of this lately. It's a painful process that, I hope, will pay off in the end. I've spent my life in "peaceful compromise" and found that it's ME who has been compromised. :(
Gardenia - so true, so true.
Tshs: Keep taking care of yourself as you recover from a very hard thing. Love you!
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