Your Pot of Gold: Waiting for Rainbow's End

By Steve Brunkhorst http://AchieveEzine.com

An old story tells of a country pastor who had created a very beautiful garden. He had removed old decaying trees and replaced them with healthy young saplings. He had dug granite stones from hillside and built steps and walkways throughout garden.

A clear stream ran through garden and supplied a sparkling pool. There were bright red roses, colorful flowering trees, and lovely fountains.

One day, a local farmer came by and stopped to marvel at magnificent garden.

He said to pastor, "This is truly a beautiful garden that you and God have created! You must be very proud of it!"

"Thank you for compliment!" replied pastor. "But it's taken a lot of time and effort. You should have seen place when God had it all to Himself!

Patience Versus Waiting

Patience is necessary. Like a seed, every thought held in mind has its unique period of germination - sometimes years - before it will manifest.

People often want fruits of success, but they don't ever get around to planting its seeds. God works through actions of people. Our lives are a reflection of how we have used unique gifts and talents Creator gave us.

I'm reminded of a line by T.S. Eliot: "Here I am, an old man in a dry month, being read to by a boy, waiting for rain."

How many lives are wasted by waiting... waiting for a big break... for a spell of luck... for perfect day... for an end to dry, unfulfilling routines...

Thanks to a persistent case of aquaphobia, I've never tried surfing. However, I've done my share of snowboarding, and I am trying to imagine what it would be like to carve slopes with several tons of avalanche chasing me down mountain. First of all, I would have to hike to top and wait to catch biggest avalanche, getting pummeled by several in process. Oh, and then try not to think too much about abominable snowman poised to take a hunk out of my leg when I least expect it.

Yeah. I'm stoked.

I don't really "get" surfing, but I stand in awe of it. It's impossible to avoid acknowledging strength, timing, grace and heart-blazing courage required just to catch those enormous waves, let alone ride them smoothly without wiping out.

Whether or not you're into water, "Riding Giants" is a breathtaking film guaranteed to raise your pulse rate. Following rise of big wave surfing from its ragtag roots in fifties to jet-ski boosted endorsement deals of today, "Riding Giants" offers a fascinating look at surf culture in all its guts and glory--not to mention its sun-bleached hair, wave- toned bodies, and plenty of pre-cancerous skin cells.

Although several world-class surfers are profiled, one I find most amazing is Jeff Clark, a 43-year-old native of Half Moon Bay, California who is credited with discovering Mavericks, a notoriously gnarly big wave mecca twenty miles south of San Francisco.