Thursday, January 10, 2013

A Warrior of Waiting




Engage!” –Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the starship USS Enterprise, ordering the helmsman to engage the engines

This word “engage” has been tapping my mind lately. Interesting, since my word of the year is “wait.” Hmm.

There are lots of ways to wait. In fact, most of us spend at least a little time every day waiting. We wait at a stoplight, we wait for water to boil, we wait on hold, we wait in the doctor’s office. Everyday waiting.

In my last post on waiting, I described some situations in which waiting allowed me to think twice, and think better, before speaking or acting. That was more like pausing waiting.

So how is this word “engage” connected to “wait”? When my word came to me for this year, it didn’t come to me as cautionary word. It came to me as a deep soul call to action, a reminder that grace is not something I can demand or grab, but something that is given to me. And it is given to me when I am not distracted, but when I am alert, open, fearless...engaged.

I accept the challenge. My spiritual practice this year will be waiting, sacred waiting. I will be a warrior of waiting.

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  –Isaiah 40:31

43 comments:

  1. My daily mantra seems to be; Stop, Step back, Wait. Now that I am communicating spiritually, I find that the wait is imperative to the healing I seek. My word is Love. I haved learned to Love waiting. With all the turmoil I have in my life, I didn't believe I could ever wait, I mean heavens I have so much to do and figure out. Hmmm, waiting provides the my answer, and my answer is love much of the time. Great post.

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    1. jan, What a lovely reflection on the connection between waiting and loving. You are a warrior of love!

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  2. I like how you differentiate between waiting as a caution and waiting in an engaged state. I think sometimes we wait around, not acting, but not engaged in what's going on around us either. Being alert, open and fearless truly is sacred waiting.

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    1. Tina, I had to puzzle through this myself because I generally think of waiting as a passive or a cautious activity, but when my word came to me, it didn't feel passive or cautious at all. As I started exploring the concept of sacred waiting, I could see that it is a very engaged attitude.

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  3. I like the idea of being a warrior. These are times that call for all of us to be warriors. Onward!

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    1. Manzanita, I like the warrior image as well. I spent much of 2011 training as a Shambhala warrior. I loved the description of the practice in terms of being a warrior. I must have been a real warrior in a former life!

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  4. "Engage", not meaning full speed ahead, but slip the gears into the right spot so motion can begin. Not the opposite of wait, but the next step.

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    1. CW, I like that idea of gears slipping into the right spot, to engage in waiting.

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  5. hey Galen - good point and what a divine practice you're word of the year is. I thought wait was a passive word but sounds like it's a very active, engaging one:) I like the fact that you're going to be a warrior in waiting and actively practicing waiting. It's going to be a very spiritual year.

    My word for the year finally ended up being giving. Which is also a very engaging practice - I'm going to think of myself as a warrior of giving. yes!!

    A couple other ways 'engage' makes sense. You're engaging and you engage us :)

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    1. Vishnu, Words are fun, aren't they? I like your several senses of engaging. You are definitely a warrior of giving. And I remember reading that for you this also means giving to yourself. We're going to have a great year with our words.

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  6. great point!!! Really made me think

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  7. Waiting is a form of mindfulness in the way that you are practicing it. So I agree that it is really a form of engagement as well. Great insight! :)

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    1. Jennifer, Thanks. As I am settling down with my word, I can see that it has many layers. And it relates to the process of purification that you and I discussed.

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  8. Hi Galen,
    When I think of engage, I think of "forward march". There is no hesitation or doubt in that word, no fear either. The more I think about it, the more I really like it. It demands presence too - and anything these days that yanks me back into that present moment (oh look, a bird!) and away from distractions is a GOOD word for me! Thanks!
    Hugs
    SuZen

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    1. SuZen, That "forward march" aspect of engage is something I'm trying to reconcile with waiting. Engage suggests movement while wait suggests stillness. I am wondering if the movement of waiting is to go deeper rather than to go forward. Hmm. You've given me something to think about.

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  9. Is that related to "they also serve who only stand and wait"?

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    1. Linda, I hadn't thought of that but I like the connection between serving and waiting. And that just reminded me of a more literal connection--the people who serve us in restaurants are now called servers, but used to be called waiters or waitresses and they "waited" on customers. Hmm, so many connections. But I like your image of standing and waiting. It carries a lot of honor with it.

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  10. Sacred waiting . . . engaged fully in the present moment, allowing God to speak to your heart.
    Beautiful post, my friend!

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    1. Martha, Thank you. I'm very excited about this focus in my spiritual practice.

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  11. oh good luck with this beautiful challenge!!!! yes, grace is a gift.

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    1. Annmarie, Thanks for the good wishes. I think this will be a significant and rewarding challenge.

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  12. Hi Galen,

    Yes, I absolutely think that when we wait or slow down, we are able to engage in the world around us much more. Writing 365 inspirations on my blog this year is a way I'm slowing down and engaging in the world around me. There are so many wonderful things right in front of us if we are willing to see them. Hope all is well!

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    1. Katherine, I love your 365 inspirations. I'm going to be inspired all year. Thank you!

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  13. Interesting because i'm working on the engage more, taking action, building the habits I want.

    The real challenge is knowing when to wait and when to engage. :)

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    1. Ben, For me, the challenge is in how to merge these concepts, to be "engaged in waiting" or actively waiting. But I understand what you are saying, too, about knowing when to be still and when to act, also a challenge!

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  14. Of course I don't believe you will ONLY wait. You are such a movin' forward kind of gal it really means "pause". In that pause, you will reflect, understand more deeply, and choose right action - which is the "engage".

    Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year to you, too, Mikey! So all these comments are helping me see the complexity of my word this year and all the connotations it has. Can waiting move me forward, for example? Maybe it moves me deeper rather than forward. Hmm. I have a lot of "waiting" to do for clarity. But the word engage is definitely linked in some way to the practice of waiting, not as something separate, at least in my own mind.

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  15. A very thought provoking post. My daughter just gets on with it - no waiting for her. My son ponders, procrastinates and waits. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I think the way is to strike a balance between the two. Wish you an awesome 2013.

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    1. Suzy, Those are two models of approaches, each with advantages and disadvantages, as you say. The image I'm getting for myself is that all action will come from that place of engaged waiting. I'm not being very clear, because it's not that clear to me yet.

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  16. Galen: Great post. As you know from your martial arts training, engage never means act in haste. Patience is a virtue we could all use from time to time and the word "wait" means "patience" to me. It carries such deep meaning. It might be assess, or consider, or weigh, or think. In any event, in my opinion, "engage" and "wait" are not mutually exclusive.

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    1. JJ, Thanks for adding your insight here. From my own thinking and from the comments, I can see that it is challenging to merge these two words. And yet, the way the words came to me was definitely in a connected way, not separate at all. The comparison to martial arts is apt. If I am sparring, for example, I might be in a waiting stance, which is not passive at all. It is very engaged! Waiting can also mean patience, which also holds true in sparring.

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  17. I liked the thought of sacred waiting. We do need to pause, slow down and wait to receive answers to prayers, to wait for a learning moment; the list goes on. I like the thought of pausing, or meditating. At some point we do need to engage. The thought of slowing my self down and to be patient in waiting is something I will need to work on.
    Loved this one; I always enjoy your posts.
    Blessings!

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    1. LeAnn, Thanks for the kind words. I'm very engaged in waiting these days!

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  18. Hello Galen
    Never read your blog until today.
    Then I read:
    They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. –Isaiah 40:31
    YOU CANNOT BELIEVE THE RELEVANCE OF THIS TO ME TODAY
    ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
    Mal
    www.maltabb.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Mal, I'm delighted that this verse was timely for you today. I don't think it was an accident. Welcome and thanks for stopping by.

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  19. Hi Galen
    It goes a step further in that Kay was "locked on" this verse in her last few months. It will be read on Friday. I'd never visited your page before. Your right no coincidence.
    Blessings
    Mal

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    1. Mal, I got chills when I read your comment. How did you find my blog? Blessings to you and to Kay's spirit.

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  20. Hello again Galen
    running4him (goals2realize)often comments on my blog & me sometimes on his. I really don't know why - but I saw a comment you made on his page & clicked through to your site (which I will now follow!!). You wrote the verse from Isaiah the day before Kay died - I couldn't believe how such a "random coincidence??" led me to this verse on that day.
    Blessings, Mal

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    1. Mal, I got chills again reading your comment. As I said in my current post, it's only weird if it doesn't work. I'm glad the divine energy led our paths to cross.

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  21. The end of my waiting happened this week - I took action with full intention and presence...then I cried for a few minutes..
    It was a great, big decision and I have not engaged the engines to begin again.
    I am relaxing my shoulders and doing the little jobs that watched me and waited for me to make my decision...
    I like your word play Oh warrior of Waiting who is fully engaged

    Thank you

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    1. Patricia, Sounds like this is a move you were ready to make. Engage!

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