Tag Archive | patience

nothing changes

Oct1

Days go by and nothing changes

The same room
The same people
The same food
The same isolation
The same restrictions

The same injustice
The same false accusations
The same unfair treatment

And as there is no change
Days slow to a crawl
The world loses its colour
And it takes a mighty effort
To see the cup as half full
Or by now, a quarter full!

Patience, immense patience is required
Faith, an unshakable faith is needed
Love, a boundless love is called for

Only a noble soul can be subjected
To such unfair treatment and not complain

Only a noble soul can be thankful for having
Been chosen to suffer in the path of love
For his Beloved

Only a noble soul can stay strong and
Not lose heart

The same walls
The same colourless surroundings
The same deprivations

The same amazing courage!
The same reliance on God!
The same great sacrifice!

Lida Berghuis
October 1st, 2015
For the Yaran

Our essence

Aug6

Our essence

To learn new things
To go into uncharted territory
To accept starting at the bottom to build
A tall edifice
To explore the unknown
To put the different parts of the puzzle together
One by one
To persevere when it’s not easy
To be patient and not disappointed
With the slow rate of advance
To see the cup as half full
To laugh in the face of challenges
To raise to the occasion
To have faith

These are the strengths of the human spirit
The invisible part of us
The part we sometimes need to pay more
Attention to…
Our essence
Our future
Our treasure

Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2015

What can I say?

Jun28

What can I say?

What can I write about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
What can I say about the one who can still laugh
Despite these trials?
What can I say about the one whose patience
Is being tested by love?

It seems like we are sometimes punished for love
“the watchman is running after us”
and all seems lost

But if we see the end in the beginning
We will see the light that emanates from this sacrifice
A light so bright
That it illumines the path for the rest of us

Deeds not words are needed today
His deeds an example for all of us
Kindness like honey drips from his every word
The scent of humility wafts gently toward us

What can I say about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
You inspire us and you make us proud!
Your friendship rejuvenates us and
We honor you for your sacrifice!

Lida Berghuis
June 27th, 2015

For Afif Naimi

Separation cooks…

Nov13

“Separation cooks”
And this is the cooking that transforms raw ingredients
Into a delicious stew
Fire and heat bind the pieces together
To create a beautiful whole

Heat is not comfortable
It is not desirable
But it’s necessary to achieve the goal

One has to burn in the fire of trials to attain wisdom

And separation is a trial
It’s not comfortable
It’s not desirable
The fire of separation burns the heart
And consumes the soul
But what is the result?
Wisdom, forbearance, steadfastness, patience
And a more mature love!

Lida Berghuis
November 13th, 2014

*Rumi

Blessed!

Aug5

My spontaneity
His planning ability

My fiery nature
His cool water ways

My excitement and laughter
His calm and composure

My ability to get lost
His ability to know the way

His wit and charm
My laughter and delight

His vision of the future
My admiration

His ability to grow and transform
My amazement and wonder

His genuine nature
My happiness

My strengths, his strength
Complement each other

My half, his half
Make a whole

My love, his love
Create magic!
The impossible becomes possible
The closed door opens

My suffering, his suffering
Intertwined
His patience
Like none other I have seen

Blessed to have found
His love
Blessed to serve with him!

Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2014

Wisdom

Jul19

It is said that with wisdom comes the ability
To solve difficult problems

Solving difficult problems requires courage
Courage to stand up for what is right

Solving problems requires love
Love that gives one the courage to go on

Solving problems requires patience
Patience under all circumstances

Solving problems requires strength
Strength to endure difficult times

Solving difficult problems leads to unity
Unity, the ultimate reward!

Lida Berghuis
July 17th, 2014

Sacrifice!

Jan3

Sacrifice hurts!
That’s normal…
But sacrifice is not a net loss!
We may give up things that are dear to us
We do suffer as a result
But then come the rewards

We live in a culture that tries to avoid pain
Tries to avoid giving up things we hold dear
We live in a culture that puts the individual first
Others, come later!

In this culture
Sacrifice may not make sense…
Why should I give up something that’s dear to me
For someone else’s benefit?
Why should I put others before me?
Why should I sacrifice my comfort and ease?

The irony is, that sacrifice
This giving up
This turning away from the self
This focus on others
Is exactly what we need
To grow
To blossom
To bloom!

Sacrifice does involve hardship and pain
Otherwise it would not be called sacrifice
But this hardship will result in amazing things
Given some time

When we give up our will
Our way
Our desires
Our comfort
Something amazing happens in time
It does take time…
There is no fast way through the plane of sacrifice!

But on the other side
Is a fragrant garden
With streams and rivers
Thirst quenching and refreshing and sublime!

Yes, sacrifice involves pain
But these are growing pains

Letting go of the ego
And the insistent self
Can only bring us joy and happiness!

Lida Berghuis
January 3rd, 2014

School of Mom…

Oct18

 

IMG_1652

Mothering is one of the best schools in life
Patience, selflessness, being organized
Being flexible, being inventive, and being kind
Only a few things taught in this school of life
Endurance, problem solving, and creativity are other ones

One has to meet many challenges head on

When I thought I could not wake up again
To a crying child
When problems used to confound me
And I had tried all I could try
I learned to persevere
To problem solve
To open my heart

But eventually I felt burnt out
Because I was last on my to-do-list
And the first to be crossed out due to lack of time
Because I didn’t know the importance of caring for myself
Because I confused it with selfishness

Eventually it occured to me
That to be a good caregiver
I needed to care for myself
I needed an avenue for self expression
I needed a creative outlet

And I realized that
There will never be enough time
There are always things to be done
And that I needed to be an non-negotioable item
On my to-do-list
Not one that woud be crossed out

It’s counter-intuitive but it works
Because when I take care of myself
I can be a better mom!

Lida Berghuis
October 15th, 2013

Beautifully flawed!

Jun9

Why do I refuse to bandage an ankle that hurts?
Why do I refuse to acknowledge that it needs rest?
Why do I wish for the pain to go away on its own
Why don’t I listen to the signals my body sends?

Why do I forget so easily to rest?
Why do I forget that healing takes time?
Why haven’t I conquered the impatience in me?
But then again, why not?

We are all beautifully flawed!
We are slow to change
Slow to learn
And get set in our ways
I definitely do!
That doesn’t mean I’m not going to improve my ways
It means I’ll be gentle with myself when I make mistakes

The human condition requires that we err
Requires that we accept that we err
So, I acknowledge my mistakes
Don’t dwell on them too long
File them in my memory bank
And hope that I will remember next time

But somehow I have a feeling I may forget…
Learning is slow, it takes time!

Lida Berghuis
June 2nd, 2013

Marathon

May16

We are stronger than we think we are
That thing which seems impossible can happen
The pain that seems unbearable
Can be tolerated
That sorrow that seems is here to stay
Will eventually leave
That problem which has been trying you
For so long
Will eventually be solved

All it takes is patience
All you have to do is not give up

When the goal is lofty
The path is often rocky
It’s better to expect set backs
At the start

Life is a marathon not a sprint
Said someone
We have to build up our stamina

Each defeat can teach us something
Each mistake can be a stepping stone

It takes a strong will
Not to give up at the first sign of trouble
It takes strength to leave what’s in the past
There and move on

LIfe has a way of teaching us these lessons, I’m afraid
It’s up to us
To learn from them nor not!

Lida Berghuis
May 16th, 2013