Taking Time...Meticulous Time

During the Christmas holiday I was stressing out about getting a million-and-ten things done when I came across a bundle of necklaces.  I was in a cleaning and de-junking mode and all I wanted to do was throw it in the garbage.  Except...there was a shiny medallion in the middle of the bundle.  When you're a Mormon teenage girl - the amount of work you have to do to get one of those medallions is comparable to the Eagle Scout award the teenage boys work on.  Totally a different program with different requirements, but it's still the culmination of YEARS of effort.  Interestingly enough the program is called "Personal Progress".  I worked too hard for that - I couldn't just throw it in the trash.

So I sat down in a hustle during the bustle, and started to untangle the mess.

I actually prayed, "Please help this to not take very long."

The answer?

"Some things are worth taking time for."

I knew what that answer really meant...the necklace was just my hands-on example, but this wasn't about my necklace at all.  

It took me far longer than I wanted.  Each tangled chain took plenty of time, and of course the ones that came off first were the cheapest necklaces that I would have thrown away, but I couldn't throw them away - I had to pay close attention to them because they were holding down or tying up the part that was actually special.  I also noticed that there were chains wrapped a lot more tightly than they at first appeared to be, and even the main chain itself was knotted in a way that had to be ironed out.

I couldn't help but think of my kids - beautiful shiny children of God, tangled up in a mess - both inside and outside - they just need to get to a place where they can find the freedom they need to hit the ground running in front of them, but it takes time for the weight to be lifted off their shoulders.  It'll take time for all the pieces of their lives to go back into place. It will take time for them to be able to truly break free from the tangles that have hidden their beauty and the chains that have held them down.  Some of those tangles might run pretty deep, and might be more tightly wound around them than I'd like to believe.  We sort of want to pray that none of this will take very long and that it can all be fixed right now.  But it doesn't work that way.  We have to remember that we can't rush it.  I've got to remember that the best things are worth taking time for.

I wore my medallion for a few days - I felt freedom wearing it & hope for the future.  It reminded me of where I've been, and where I hope to go.  It reminded me of what I want for my family.  

All in time.