Long way around

I don't know if the dots themselves connect, but I connected with some dots along the path this morning. Listening to this Dixie Chicks song about their "two long years" recalls my last five-plus long years. For me it's all about process and God's grace. In the same vein of thought, I found these apt words from Lisa :

The soul is self correcting at times. This amazes me. When our life isn't working, our soul cries loudly until we listen.
B. and I share an ability to plow through what needs to be done. This can cause great spiritual pain. We are so busy plowing that we aren't listening to our lives. We miss warning signs, red flags. Progress is plowing through or is it?
I am looking to redefine my definition of progress. Perhaps it is slowing down enough to notice what is really happening. Perhaps it is saying, "I can't do this." Perhaps it is screaming for help.

Perhaps it is also embracing the small steps, revelations, relationships, and changes as gifts. Any of these can feel like enemies at the time because of the discomfort involved. I am again experiencing a season of discomfort-- with change and transition challenging me to "step into liquid." (I haven't seen the movie, but I like the phrase.) Seems like nothing's happening, everything's on hold, and the unfulfilled potential of the last season and its losses are still being grieved and processed. Then, suddenly, there's a stirring of activity with flecks of hope glinting in the sunlight and the calm is disturbed. It rouses me and calls for a response. Yea or Nay? Retreat or step out? Things are much less certain, less orderly, less predictable than before. There's a learning curve to becoming. Curve means bend. Bending requires being flexible. Flexibility means able to yield to pressure. Pressure means discomfort. Discomfort means change. Change hopefully means growth. Growth means becoming. This process of progess seems like the long way around.