The Waiting Place

Nobody hears much from me.  I don’t know what is happening, what will happen, when things will happen …  So, I keep my mouth closed.  I want a sure foundation from which to make my choices and plan my future.  Lacking that, I have found myself in this “waiting place” for far too long.

Dr. Seuss describes my situation best as I sit in “a most useless place.  The Waiting Place …”
“…for people just waiting.  Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.  Everyone is just waiting.  Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.  Everyone is just waiting.  No! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.” (Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You’ll Go)

And we will escape.  In fact, in many ways we have escaped.  We are living, we are enjoying. We are growing and learning and loving.  I have learned to enjoy the moment.  Enjoy what I have now.  Yes, I am still frustrated by the lack of planning and preparing I can do from here, but I refuse to allow that frustration strip me of my happiness.  When the last fire occurred and I was still trying to process what it meant, someone extended their condolences and used the phrase that my life was ruined.  But even in that moment I was able to stop them.  This is not my life.  It is merely a moment in my life.  And yes, it is taking a lot longer than I thought it would.  It will be hard to start over again.  But this is such a small moment in the lives of me and my family (not to mention the eternal perspective).

Elder Dallin H Oaks gave a devotional address at BYU recently.  He stated, “The Future is always clouded with uncertainties … While some abandon progress, you of faith should hope on and press on with your education, your lives, and your families.”  And I feel like I am doing just that.  I try to focus on the blessings we have here.  I am trying to utilize the opportunities available to us while we are here.

The children love being here near family.  Grandma and Grandpa have adjusted to our noise level and we love being near each other.  Each child has a their own sleepover with the other set of grandparents.  We have cousins over at least 4 times a week highlighted with sleepovers and on hand babysitting.  There are gymnastics classes, basketball leagues, Zumba classes, track, scouts, young women, activity days, etc.  The kids are enjoying school.  There are so many opportunities available at these larger schools that just wasn’t an option at our rural school.

And so though “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” (2 Cor 4:8-9).  We, the Jensen family, will continue to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” (2 Nephi 31:20).  ”

Coming Soon: Thoughts on Piracy!