The Art of Continuance

How many of you entered the new year with a hitch in your get-along?

I’ve heard from a few friends, family, and a fellow business-owner in our building that the holidays coincided with virus bugs, migraines, and fever. Or, if not outright sickness, just your general all-purpose malaise.

Humanity is tired.

It’s no wonder. Both the persistence of activity and the persistence of boredom, though opposites, induces a similar response: weariness.

There are some things for which some hot soup and a good night of sleep, unplugging for a bit, or a change of scenery does wonders. But I’m not talking about that kind of weariness.

There is a state of weary that feels like you were relocated to a new permanent address without the benefit of any new ‘furniture’. Old and new relationships, current problems, diehard emotions, matters at hand…they all crammed themselves into the one oversized piece of luggage with your nametag on it. The one time you’d actually like to lose your luggage…!

Human nature, depending on how we’re hardwired, tends to navigate to one or the other – persistent activity or persistent boredom.

The first is a great way to avoid unpacking that dang suitcase except for the most necessary items. Activity is where things are happenin’ and a lot more fun! Or at least distracting.

The bored one stares at the suitcase with their dog, melon collie, and says, ‘There’s nothing in here that interests me. Nothing’s changed, will change, and I’m too tired to change this record.’

This is where the art of continuance comes into play: the act of continuing for a long period of time.

Which is why we and humanity in general have grown ever so weary in our ‘instant everything’ society. When a condition or circumstance goes on and on and on and … it winds us up or wears us down.

May I suggest an alternative?

I love one of the key definitions of continuance / continuation that reads, something that starts where something else ends, and adds to or continues the first part.

This, dear reader, is very much what life with Jesus is about. He starts where we end.  

He doesn’t throw us out on the sidewalk with our bulging suitcase to just ‘deal with it’. Humanity at large thinks itself a great preacher – just do it; just deal with it; just get over it.

Sorry. If you just walk away from the suitcase, you will inevitably leave behind a sacred part of yourself that He came to redeem and restore. You see, He knows what’s in the suitcase. He knows what to do with what’s in the suitcase. And in so doing, with your cooperation He adds to or continues the first part.

He adds to or continues YOU.

Contrary to the belief of many, life is valuable. Your life is valuable. Learning and practicing the art of continuance is valuable.

Not for the sake of just keeping on keeping on, lugging that suitcase around with you. But for the sake of accepting His invitation to help you unpack and sort through what’s in that big lug of luggage, and in the process, lightening your load.

***

Though the calendar and the year just changed, my desire as a life coach has not. If you find yourself living in that state of weary, may I help you move and live life forward?

I’m just a contact away for life coaching and spiritual development, counseling, or group offerings.

If you’re in the Spokane area, it’s my pleasure to offer a Listen To My Life half-day workshop on Saturday, January 30. It’s designed to aid the process of unpacking your suitcase with God and others. You’re not the only one living on Weary Street. It’s time for many to find a new neighborhood! I’d love to share more of the workshop details with you: [email protected] or 509.290.6810.

Welcome to 2016 and practicing the art of continuance in a freeing, growing, healthier kind of way!

~ Nancy

The Art of … word pictures of human nature

Suitcase photo credit: Nové Strašecí via photopin (license)