“. . . [H]urry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.”
-Ann Voskamp One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
…
Beloved readers, this quote from Ann’s life-changing book gave me great pause while reading it.
I’m at a point, where I have become very good at recognizing the need to bring proper pacing to the daily activities of my life; but, never had such a succinct reason for why.
This quote gave me an excellent one:
I don’t want to be an amateur.
PERIOD.
I look back at my life and see many amateurish things I’ve done. A few make me cringe, most make me think of ways to have a more polished approach to such things in the future.
This quote comes to mind when I feel the desire to give into impatience, anxiety, or fear tug at my peace; because, truly…when I give into them, it’s because I want to rush ahead and DO SOMETHING.
Rather than discipline my heart and emotions to be still and wait. To wait on God’s divine timing, to wait on man’s timing, to wait on…myself. (Or any combination of those three.)
Where do you see the marks of an amateur in your life, beloved readers?
How will you learn to apply the “stroke of a master”?
2 comments
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SweetBonita
August 25, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC -7)
that is something i struggle with, constantly. i can’t tell you the amount of times per day i want to rush through something, or how having patience on any particular matter in my life seems to cause me physical pain at times. yet i fully understand the importance of patience. it will clearly have to be something i practice/pray about/meditate on/anything else i can think of. i’ve never heard someone link the practice of being in a hurry and impatience with being an amateur. but it makes, PERFECT sense. i’m very interested in checking out that book!
Ruth
August 25, 2011 at 4:09 pm (UTC -7)
I discovered – a long time ago – that talking about submission to God’s will is a lot easier than PRACTISING submission to God’s will. I can talk me up a storm of ‘theological speak’, but just being doesn’t coming naturally to me… and there are days when being still before God seems to take more energy somehow, because – although my body has slowed – my brain still runs a mile a minute. :-/
I am thankful for the grace of my Creator, who knows my frame and my amateurish ways, and who has promised that He will finish the work He has begun. To submit daily to God’s leading and lay it all down under the watchful care of the Divine Master is the only cure for what ails us. I need constant reminders…..
Like this post… a gift.
All’s grace — to borrow a truth-filled phrase.
Links I Love Vol. 2 | That IT Girl
September 11, 2011 at 4:52 pm (UTC -7)
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