In the past week a few things have happened that were challenging in several different areas and different ways. It was one of those weeks when just as everything seemed as if it was going along smooth sailing all of a sudden all kinds of not very smooth or easy to manage events occurred that made me begin to wonder if I could keep on going on the path that I was on. That may not be the right description, because actually I know that I can keep on going, but when things get as tough as they did this past week I begin to not want to keep going because I am wondering if I'm on the right path at all. It's at times like this that I want to run away to somewhere I love and forget everything and everyone who is causing the difficulties, but in reality I know that when I'm on the right path sometimes things will happen that will try to push me off of it. There's a description that I learned years ago when I was first born again that talks about how when you're just going about a normal but pleasant life with nothing that is particularly making any big difference in the world there are no trials to overcome and everything goes along swimmingly. It's when you are actually doing something that makes an impact on peoples' lives that you start to run into trouble, and as the old saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get going so when that starts to happen it's important to recognize that though it seems like it would be easier to just stop going, if the going is tough you have to find a way to keep going.
There was a time when I used to have these moments and times of difficulty and doubt and I was writing daily in this blog. If I go back to those posts from 2013 I can always find reasons to keep going because it was a very deep and meaningful time of walking by faith and not by sight for me. So much has changed since then, but when I find myself in difficulty it is always important to remember that the way I am feeling and the way I am perceiving things is not the way they actually are. There is always a way to keep going along on the path as long as that path is the right one, and if it's not the right one the guidance will come to show how to go in the right way. Patience is a virtue specifically because it is something that people like me need when I'm waiting to figure out my next steps and it seems as if I'm stuck somewhere that I don't want to be or in a situation that I can't find a way through. Trust and hope go hand in hand and believing in something is the way to move forward even when what we actually see seems very different.
Having YES Gallery to go to each day has given me a kind of sanctuary to rest and reflect in. As I begin to prepare for the next show and make additions and adjustments to the decor, I found myself making a sign for the door this week that was very simple but in its own way very profound. There is an Artist who has made me a sign for the gallery, but I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet and I don't know where I will be placing it, so this week I decided in the middle of all of the things that were happening in what seemed like chaos at times, I found time and space in the quiet place of the gallery to create a sign that will be used to show if the gallery is open or closed. With the advent of colder days the door may not be able to be open much longer, and so this sign will let people know they can come in. In times when its hard to see which way to go or even know if you can go forward, doing what you can to keep moving in a positive direction does wonders and is a reminder that though you might have to be patient, there are still things you can do that bring a spark of joy. I love my little sign, and having it there is a way to let the world know that even if the door is closed, sometimes it's really still open.
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