DynaMOLLIE – Consistency and Support

Proverbs says that there is profit in all labor; it says that the diligent man will prosper; it says that he who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys; it says that you are not to withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act, and Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Are you weary of your labor? Are you weary of being diligent? Are you weary of the temptation to become slack, not because you are irresponsible but because you are getting exhausted mentally and emotionally? Are you weary of being the one who seems to always have the power to act in giving what is good and what is due while others withhold and seem to get by with it?

A friend of mine shared with me recently that every year she selects a word for the year, a word to guide her, a word to help her focus on improving her life and the lives of others. Her word this year is “consistency.” I have only done this once at the suggestion of another friend (the word was “expectation” then), but after getting this reminder from her, my mind immediately nailed mine – support. This is a two way, bidirectional kind of word in my life; I so badly desire support and constantly crave more; I so badly desire to be a support to others and constantly crave to let others allow me to do this for them and to do this well. I think my friend’s word is a two way kind of word, too, a word which begs for both parties in a relationship to embrace with a strong, diligent commitment. We all like consistency – the same store, the same schedule, the same locations for items, the same food preparation, the same demeanor from others, etc. We like to know what to expect and when a breech in the consistency of anything occurs, we might get a little upset or unnerved, or inconvenienced, or quite frankly, downright disappointed which leads to conflicts, sadness, anger, and a host of other types of consequences.

It takes a real effort have consistency and it takes a real effort to live a life of support. This requires diligence, and it can be very laborious. They go hand in hand, but remember, there is profit in all labor. The outcome of consistency and support, if imbedded with rational, responsible and unselfish motives, is nothing but pure profit – whether it be financial, physical, emotional, relational, occupational; the list could go on and on, exponential. The profit isn’t just for you either. It is two way; surely others benefit from the profit you get from the labor of consistency, from the labor of support. The benefits of the two words that my friend and I have chosen are not just for us; the benefits are for all the people whose lives we touch; all the people we love, all the people we encounter, all the people who depend on us; even all the people whom we wish would live by consistency and support. It is two way – just like God wants. It helps relationships; God wants us to have relationships. It reflects God; he possesses both consistency (He doesn’t change) and support (He is faithful). It is two way – not just for us but for everyone, just like salvation; just like grace; just like forgiveness.

Consistency and support very accurately describe my relationship with Mollie, my DynaMOLLIE, my sweet, little, nonverbal yet very communicative girl; my sweet, little, delicate epitomy of peace and love; my sweet little treasure who both likes and needs consistency and who both likes and needs support. I am the driver in this area. Consistency and support are required by me for her benefit, and she needs it, thrives on it, has more peace because of it. I am both satisfied and exhausted, nourished and depleted, empowered and powerless, all simultaneously, by being diligent in giving them. It is an important, daily choice for these to occur. Consistency is an action on my part; on her part, it is what she appreciates and can’t help but to follow – both in her actions and in her expectations. Support is also an action on my part; on her part, it is what her frailty requires and needs, and she has lots of positive habits because of it, habits that have helped her to learn, to behave beautifully, to have a peaceful life. So many others have enjoyed the benefits of this precious life; again, it is two way, for everyone, not just the one who chooses consistency or support.

Although applause is desired, no applause is necessary or expected. We have an audience of one, the Lord God who sees all; nothing is hidden from His view. We can’t hide from him; no darkness can mask anything from Him, no depth, nothing. In the beauty of it all, he is close to the weary, close to the humble of heart, close to the needy; indeed, close to the servant who might not get the earthly consistency and support craved and needed, but who has Heavenly support because it is two way – God and us; heaven and us; others and us. It is said that when Beethoven’s 9th Symphony was debuted, he could not hear the applause of the crowd who was behind him. He really never even heard his own composed notes for this massive composition; he just experienced the vibrations, although he knew what they sounded like. I suppose we could say the same. We might not hear any applause from our two notes here – consistency and support – but that does not mean Heaven is not applauding us for doing good, especially for the benefit of others.

What word might you select for this year? It’s not too late. I encourage to ponder this and select one and to daily implement it with consistency and support, for you and others. And remember, there is profit in all labor; the diligent man prospers; the power to act on the behalf of others is both a responsibility and a privilege; slackness has no place in this realm, and Jesus is there to help us before, during and after we have become weary. Consistency and support, not just for one; it’s two way, for all of us; the benefits are exponential.