The title of this post is Spanish for "One more." I don't
remember the exact context of how this phrase got in my head, but I think it
may have come from one of my uncles telling me about one of my cousins.
I believe this is the same uncle who told me that when I was a
toddler, I used to run around exclaiming with my index finger in the air,
"I got an idea! I got an idea!" Of course, this would excite my uncle, so he would try to get me to stop running around and give him the scoop. "What,
Tirzah? What is your idea?" The only reply he would get from me was,
"I got an idea!" Hmm. Perhaps I took pleasure from keeping things
vague on purpose, even as a toddler.
Years later, when I took the Clifton StrengthsFinder test, I scored
Ideation. Go figure.
I think it was this same uncle who told me that one of my cousins would
eat a lot, and I think perhaps they had trouble getting him to stop eating. I
think he said that when they would tell my toddler cousin to eat no more, he
would say, "Uno más." I know, right? It can be easy to keep eating "uno
más" when you're enjoying what you're eating (e.g., Johnson City peaches,
pan dulce, or any kind of candy).
But if the same icky food is placed in front of you day after day, meal
after meal, it can be really hard to open your mouth and shove one more morsel down your
throat yet again.
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have
its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(James 1:2-4)
Recently, God has been telling me, "You inherited your parents'
impatience." So, He has been developing some patience in me. He's been
placing me in some situations that aren't getting any quick fixes -- situations
that are requiring patience. And He's been developing some endurance in me,
too. I kinda thought I had all this stuff inside me already, but maybe He's
giving me some more. Or maybe He's scrapping the old stuff and building some
new stuff altogether. Hmm. Not sure. I'm just gonna have to wait to find out.
And I'm OK with that.
As you may have read in my previous post, getting my cat Macho to
eat lately has been a heartbreaking struggle. I tried everything I could think
of to get him to eat. I think last weekend was the worst part of this entire
season. At one point, he was so weak that he meowed but no sound came out. (He
just mouthed his meow.) On Monday night, I decided that I should take him to
the vet the next morning and possibly consider putting him to sleep.
You may not like cats, and I can certainly understand that. But if one
of your roommates were dying, you'd probably feel the same type of emotions
that I've been feeling.
On Tuesday morning, Macho seemed hungry, and he downed some tuna, so I
decided to postpone his visit to the vet. Then God prompted me to put my new philosophy into motion: "Uno más."
So, I got an idea!
On Tuesday afternoon, I found this stuff at PetSmart. I was very
excited to see Macho scarf it down. Apparently, he's a Purina man. Go figure.
He's been eating about three cans per day now. Yesterday, I found a similar
canned food from Hill's Science Diet that he ate this morning. For now, the vet
said to just make sure that Macho keeps eating, and I also plan to start him on
new medication very soon. I'm taking it a day at a time, and I hope I get to
keep Macho for as long as possible. And I'm OK with that.
"In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me." (Psalm
120:1)
Two Friday nights ago, I was emotionally very low. I won't go into
details here, but suffice it to say that I was kneeling on my couch with my
Bible open and literally crying out to God because I didn't know what else to
do -- with my current job, with my cat's health, with everything else in my life,
etc., etc., etc.
I'm glad He heard me. Sometime during that weekend, He told me, "Uno
más."
That following Sunday, when I opened up my laptop to look for another
job and strategize my search yet again, I decided to send my resume to a
company that I didn't get any response from when I contacted them about three
times last year. Now this year -- two weeks and two interviews later -- I accepted
a job offer from them.
So, the principle of "uno más" is a God thing. Go figure!
"As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who
fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (Psalm
103:13-14)
"A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not
quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be
discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands
shall wait for His law... 'Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new
things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.' " (Isaiah
42:3-4, 9)
So, I'm learning how to wait, persevere, and just keep showing up
when it doesn't seem like anything is changing.
I think maybe God does the same thing for us. I know He's given me at
least a zillion "uno más" chances. I also know that He sometimes
keeps things vague on purpose. I mean, how else will He be able to sit down
with us and examine the contents of our hearts if He doesn't make us wait,
persevere, and press in for something?
I want to be just like Him. If He doesn't give up easily, I don't want
to, either.
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