up for a challenge ?

"The search for love 
is but the honest searching out 
of everything that interferes with love."

when we pray for-
or ask for-
love, 
patience, 
courage, 
forgiveness, 
strength, 
humility, 
peace, 
cheerfulness, 
gentleness,
mindfulness, 
self control, 
or any other thing...

we do not get it!

what we DO get 
is the opportunity 
to call up that which is already resting in us,
that which was gifted to us at birth,
that which we have access to any time we really want it!

so if we ask for help in any form,
we do not get tapped with a magic wand 
or touched on the shoulder with a sword by a queen
and honored with-
or bequeathed 
that for which we ask...
God does not say, "NO PROBLEM, HERE YOU GO!"

we get an opportunity in the form of "a situation"...

a situation that seems to challenge 
what we asked for!

and we get that "situation" in order that we may step up to the plate,
call on that character trait we most desire to exhibit,
and be an active participant in experiencing our request.

those more bold, 
do not just ask and wait for the opportunity.

those more bold seek out those situations, people, and opportunities
that challenge us!  
those situations, people and opportunities that challenge our capacity for love,
for patience,
for strength, 
for forgiveness, 
for cheerfulness, 
for mindfulness,
for peace.
they actually seek out that which would interfere with all these things!
they are not content to keep company only with those who make it all easy.
they are not content to only "stay put" in situations that are comfortable.
they are not content to miss opportunities to grow and to change,

they are willing to accept all the unknowns, and freefall into all those unknowns in an effort to tap into all that they are and all that is already in them!

are you up for a challenge?