"Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay...Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete."

-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

LESSON 32: Trust in the Slow Work of God

by Carol B Webster

Almost all the time, I am in a task that I'm trying to get done so I can move on to the next task as soon as possible. A friend sent me a quote that has made me think more deeply about that habit. It begins:

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

At first reading, I thought I understood that line. As I read further, it sunk deep into my heart. See what you think:

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
excerpted from Hearts on Fire

Great Commandments

I could totally see how embodying this idea could help me to more fully love God with all my heart, soul, mind, might and strength. It also helps me see others in their "slow work", giving me a kinder more patient point of view as I try to "love my neighbor". (Mark 12:30-31) In other words, it helps me to honor individuals (including myself) and hold space during the "intermediate stages" that we tend to want to skip.

As stated in Module 8

Love is the end result. Love is holding Space when things are not complete yet.

Quote Corner

Practice checklist:

Drawing. Creating. Expressing. These actions, while thinking of an elevated desire, help you embody, integrate and upgrade.

• Read the "Slow Work of God" out loud at least once.

• Write it.

• Draw something that is inspired by this or Module 8.

YOUR ideas?