Patience.

The seed of a Giant Sequoia, the largest living thing on earth. Image found here.

I went to a contemporary dance concert this weekend, and it was incredibly moving. There were dances about Mother Eve, strength, cultural diversity and womanhood, which were all wonderful. But my favorite was about growth.

This piece was choreographed and performed by faculty member Marin Elizabeth Leggat, and it was entitled "Expansive to My View." It was done to Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel." It was powerful. I have been thinking about it all weekend.

The dancer begins seated on the ground, arms crossed and her knees pulled to her chest. Slowly she tries to to extend her arm away from her body, but it doesn't want to move. After much effort and concentration, it finally snaps to the side. She feels freed and enlightened. She decides to try the other arm. It is also difficult, and the first arm wants to go back to its comfortable position, but she frees the second arm and is able to explore the beauty of her full range of movement.

To me, this piece represents my growth, a process that is can be very slow and very painful. Life can get so discouraging. I feel like every day there is a new challenge I must face, another battle that I have to fight. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get a rest. Some days I feel like I can't do anything right and I just want to run home to my mommy and watch The Baby-Sitter's Club under the electric blanket.

It is then that I remember that my Savior.

He is helping me in this progression, no matter how slow it is. Despite my setbacks and weaknesses, I am getting better. I am growing. Cell by cell, the Lord is transforming me from a seed into a sequoia tree. And He does it with a Master's hand. Being omnipotent, He could have me progress at the speed of light - but for some reason that is not His plan.

That's ok with me.

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Patience is a willingness, in a sense to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe - rather than pacing up and down in the cell of our circumstances.

- Neal A. Maxwell