Oh Cardamom!!

So I was putting away some Mexican Vanilla bean that my friend Gabe gave me, and I wanted a canister to put it in, you know, store it in a cool, dry place. Well, I open this canister that used to hold Gypsy Tea Coconut Chai (very good I might add), and what do I find there but a bag full of fresh, green CARDAMOM PODS! Now, this may not mean much to you, but when I needed Cardamom about a month and a half ago for some Chai and didn't have any more pods left, I sure could have used this! Instead I bought some more at Whole Foods. In any case, I just couldn't believe that I had that there and that I didn't know about it! And I said, "God, why didn't you tell me about this?"
His response? "You didn't ask."
I could feel him almost laughing.

As I go into this new year, I don't want to take for granted what I have. I want to know what I've got and utilize those resources to their fullest potential. Like Cardamom. Something I'm realizing is that we often have what we need right now. Yes, there are things that we will need later to do bigger and better things. For instance, I am going to need more people to team up with to produce theatre with. But are those people all really "out there" somewhere, or are many of them right in my own backyard, people I have begun to live and play with in the here and now? Or take the issue of space, for example. I am going to need a theater space to produce shows in, and this is something I'd like to begin pursuing more in this new year. But while I'm researching spaces, properties and the like, are there other spaces I can use in the meantime? I want to have another "Show and Tell" party soon, this month actually. And the thought occurred to me a few weeks ago: Why not get some actors together, direct them in one of my short plays (just 7 minutes or so), and produce it right there at the next Show and Tell? We'll have the audience. Why not do it? So hopefully I can get my act together and do what I need to do to make these things happen.

Timing is important, I know. But so is doing. So is utilizing the resources that are right in front of you. I, for one, am a victim of laziness and lack of structure, laziness and lack of structure that I create. So in this new year, I am hoping to become more steadfast and more structured in the things I am pursuing: my love relationship with God, the development and production of two one-man shows, researching what I need to do to get a building (or what I would need in teaming up with others to do so). And where I am lacking, I can reach out to ask others for wisdom and help.

God help us use the Cardamom we already have for good Chai and more in 2010!