We enter Omer Count – Day 24. On this day we are considering the aspects of Tiferet of Netzach. Netzach means endurance and Tiferet of Netzach can translate to “harmony of endurance.”
What does it mean to add harmony to our endurance?
Endurance means we have the ability for staying power.
If we did not have the trait of endurance in our daily life; we would never finish anything. Speaking of finishing well; you might appreciate what is going on at this link: https://www.icr.org/article/finishing-well#:~:text=For%20others%2C%20it%20may%20mean,(Matthew%2025%3A21). The people of Israel learned a lot about this subject from their leader named Joshua. Joshua was finishing the task that God had Moses to do. You can read of how he went about finishing well here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/learning-how-to-move-on/.
HARMONY HELPS US TO FINISH WELL
I know some parents that would love to see more “endurance” in the way their child tackles their homework. So many children just get fed up, either from being too tired, too frustrated, or having a total dislike for the subject; and they simply walk away from important learning skills that need to be practiced.
I hated math when I was a student. The constant repetition of tables for multiplications and division were not a bit interesting to me. If only I had added some type of harmony into my studies of math; perhaps I might enjoy math a lot more as an adult. Most days I left my math homework unfinished and had to be pushed to complete each assignment.
How would that have been different if I had thought of some way to add more harmony into my endurance of math?
OUR HARMONY AND ENDURANCE ARE INCREASED WHEN WE PLAY TOGETHER
My friend uses crafts as a tool to teach her children multiplication and division. They make cute little animals out of egg cartons; 12 of some animals, 11 of some, 10 of some, etc. When they are all crafted; they arrange the animals into groups and sort according to how they want to multiply. 2 x 2 would be 2 lions 2 times. Then the child counts the animals and comes up with the answer of four. They repeat this pattern with all the animals in different scenarios; giving points for each time the count for the problem is solved.
Now that would be so much more fun than just repeating numbers over and over and over again by memory. You are memorizing without knowing it when you play the craft games.
The games bring harmony into the math problems making them fun and those kids look forward to playing the game. They never think of it as learning; but they ARE learning and much faster than in a boring classroom setting.
PLAYING OUR STORIES
You may have heard me tell in the past of how I’ve used Godly Play toys to teach bible lessons to kids. The children think they are playing. There is no realization that they are participating in a class where they are learning foundational teachings. Yet; it is these very teachings that will carry them all the way through life.
I’ve seen children that will not sit though a whole regular class period be delighted to go “play” through a story. It is all in bringing harmony into the endurance of learning.
These attributes and their connections teach us that we can add harmony into endurance and bring about a balance of pleasure where there was only anguish and dread before.
The impossible becomes possible!
ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE
This same theory plays out in almost every dreaded exercise of endurance. My friend who hates to jog adds music to her runs in order to distract her dislike for the exercise and increase her avid enjoyment of listening to music.
My daughters (the two who are local) and I meet once a month on the new moon to walk, study the scriptures and enjoy a healthy meal together. It is so much more fun to exercise, study and eat healthier when we do it together, in harmony.
When a child will not eat vegetables; just introduce them to dips to go with those raw vegetables and they will gobble them down like potato chips!
How would all of this tie into our spiritual life?
HARMONY IN LIFE’S ROUTINES
If you slowly build upon your basic knowledge of the scriptures, reading only a few verses a day and letting them sink into your soul before going on; you come to understand the scriptures better. Don’t try to soak in the whole bible in one setting; you will only become frustrated and confused.
When you pray each time you study, and use what you studied for that day to enhance your prayers; the prayers will find harmony with the scriptures and your spiritual life will come into a balance with joy and anticipation instead of being just another duty in your day.
You will find yourself waking early in the morning because you want to get up and pray and study.
TURNING THE NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE
Think about all the ways that you can use these tools of balance to increase your daily life and turn negative situations into positive situations. It is truly amazing when you meditate on how well this works out in so many different types of situations.
Jesus definitely practiced this.
He gave us the beatitudes.
Each beatitude is a certain type of character trait that brings about a certain reward because the person is using that trait to enhance the world around them.
HARMONY AND ENDURANCE = OVERCOMING
For example; take the phrase of “blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.” Having a pure heart brings us into harmony with God’s Kingdom. A pure heart helps us to know God better; it moves us closer toward our desire in a positive way and makes a good connection that brings more balance into our days. This helps us to endure; to become the overcomers that Christians are supposed to be.
Whenever you can; remember to sprinkle your endurance with harmony. A lot more things will get accomplished for God’s Kingdom and we all will be the better for it.