Edward Abbey (v. 5)

From Desert Solitaire 

If a man's imagination were not so weak, so easily tired, if his capacity for wonder not so limited, he would abandon forever such fantasies of the supernal.  He would learn to perceive in water, leaves and silence more than sufficient of the absolute and marvelous, more than enough to console him for the loss of ancient dreams. 

My prayers the last few days have been about releasing the outcome of what is to happen when I get home.  I am 13 days away from Prescott.  I know not what I come home to.  And, I am reminded by past experience my imagination isn't as powerful as I like to think.

Continually, I would hope for something, wish for something, desire something, thinking it the pivotal and most fabulous, and really?  God's plan was so much more cohesive, brightly colored and seamless than what my imagination could scheme and want.

I appreciate Mr. Abbey's words in this context.  If my imagination were so powerful, perhaps I wouldn't need to dream of celestial, heavenly beings creating my life for me.  Perhaps that is why my imagination is limited, so I can release the possibility of my life to God, and trust in God's great imagination to see the the larger picture.

One more quote from The Spirituality of Imperfection, a quote from William James

Suppose, for example, that I am climbing in the Alps, and have had the ill-luck to work myself into a position from which the only escape is a terrible leap.  Being without similar experience, I have no evidence of my ability to perform it successfully; but hope and confidence in myself make me sure I shall not miss my aim, and nerve my feet to execute what without those subjective emotions would perhaps have been impossible. 

But suppose that, on the contrary, the emotions of fear and mistrust preponderate; or suppose that, have just read [WK Clifford's] Ethics of Belief, I feel it would be sinful to act upon an assumption unverified by previous experience--why, then I shall hesitate so long that at last, exhausted and trembling, and launching myself in a moment of despair, I miss my foothold and roll into the abyss. 

In this case (and it is one of immense class) the part of wisdom clearly is to believe what one desires; for the belief is one of the indispensable preliminary conditions of the realization of its object.  There are then cases where faith creates its own verification.  Believe, and you shall be right, for you shall save yourself; doubt, and you shall be right, for you shall perish.  The only difference is that to believe is greatly to your advantage.  

Oh, I love this quote.  In fact, I haven't read further in the book because I've been marinating on this idea of belief versus doubt.  I adore, "Believe, and you shall be right, for you shall save yourself; doubt, and you shall be right, for you shall perish.  The only difference is that to believe is greatly to your advantage."

I believe I'll get ready to depart Suisse now.
I have lots of time ahead to meditate, journal, pray and study for that (when the heck will they give me my test code) NCLEX.
I hope I sleep and my tummy feels a bit better.  Six half slices of mozzarella isn't agreeing with me so well this morning, but I maintain the belief all will be well.