Monday, October 28, 2013

Oh, the Places You Will Go

Oh, the Places You Will Go



Last winter, about 3 months out, I was having a really hard time coping with all of the changes in my life.  When I felt the Spirit I seemed to be able to function, but new added stresses would quickly send me spiraling downward.  For the first time in my life I didn't have a plan.  Everything up to Scott's death had always been according to my plan.  I was always able to work hard enough to make things happen the way I wanted them to.  All of my plans for the future had crumbled and I knew no matter how hard I tried that I could not resurrect them because they all centered around Scott.  Everything had centered around him, for the last 20 years, and I was not sure how to re-plan without my partner.

My oldest son, Alex, sensing  my troubled heart was inspired to send me the lines to a famous story book by Doctor Seuss entitled, Oh the Places You Will Go. The words to this children's book gave me hope.  Sometimes hope is what you need to find to help your faith grow and to give you strength to start to act.

You see, I was in a slump and "un-slumping yourself is not easily done." When that happens we sometimes find ourselves stuck in "the waiting place."  Don't misunderstand me. Waiting on the Lord is good, because waiting on the Lord is still active.  We still study, we serve, we pray.  When we get into trouble is when we quit using our agency to act.  We have to remember that,

"NO, that is not for you!"  

We are God's children with a great divine potential.  He does not want us to squander that potential in inactive waiting.  The story says that somehow we will escape that waiting place.  We do that by turning to the Lord and asking the questions,

"What should I learn from this?"
 "What am I to do now?"
 "Whom should I serve?" 

The story talks about the times when we are alone, but reassures us that we will go on.  It encourages us by asking and replying,

"And will you succeed? 
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) 
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!"
  
That was what I needed to hear, that my son thought that I could do this, and not only that, but that I could go on to do great things without dad.  So if you ever find a day when you feel this way, remember this story and the last three lines 

"Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"


***Before I leave you with the words to this story I need to offer a special thanks to my Sister Melissa who felt inspired 15 years ago to give me that book to read to Alex and my other children.  Little did she know that it would leave an impact on him, so that almost 15 years later, he would feel inspired to share it with me on a dark February day, and that I would 6 months later read my journal entry and feel inspired to share it with you. Another Tender Mercies (there's a post on this earlier this month)

Lesson to learn...  you never know the difference you can make.  Follow those promptings!


Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.


You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward 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 the 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 the 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
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.


With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.


And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!



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