What does the word "abidings" mean to you?

Abiding by the rules – sounds archaic to me and forced.

The hymn, “Abide with Me.”

It’s hard to think of it any other way than what the dictionary definition is. We use it the way it’s defined for a reason. To abide by the rules…when I hear it, I think of following the rules, whether I actually do it or not is up to me though.

Just what I thought (I looked it up): waiting (patiently); enduring; living.

They mean nothing… I am who I am and will act accordingly.

So in that case, “abidings” would be used as a noun; Because of the longevity of her abidings, she was able to be there for him when he came back. That’s the only way that I can think it would be used, and it’s incorrect. One “abides” for a reason or not, but it is a verb.
Or maybe in the sense that @Blackberry states, one could say; Our abidings by the rules are done so for a reason. Again, an incorrect use of the word, albeit closer than the other as it’s at least in verb form. Hey, I used that in two different ways! Yaay words!
Or, it could be a mindless children’s counting rhyme, like “one banana, two banana, three banana four!
One abiding, two abidings, three and then some more!

I’ve never seen ‘abiding’ in the plural. I have no idea what it might mean without context.

I’m not even sure it’s a real word—not all nouns / gerunds may be pluralized, as I’ve learned playing Scrabble! dictionary.com doesn’t recognize it.

@Trillian my son loves that song! with potatoes~

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Shoot! It is potatoes, isn’t it? Dang it. I was taking a victory lap around the computer for my clever use of the word in not just one but two different ways, and came back, saw your post and fell flat on my face. Ah, thank you lord, for sending @Simone_De_Beauvoir to teach me humility. (I say that with the full knowledge of your status as an atheist, hoping that you can take some lighthearted ribbing.)

@Trillian why am I turned on by your usage of the word ‘ribbing’? anyway…

abiding: being cool with it.

I wonder if this is the time or place to mention that I did actually have a girlfriend for about a year and a half….

@Trillian so, does that mean you can’t turn me on?

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Oh dear. This is way off topic, but no, I was saying that the fact that I was with a woman for a time perhaps made my use of the word ribbing a subconscious effort to lure you into my web.

@Trillian lure me? I’ll go willingly

I’m already there. With both of you. And several others. God (whatever) I love this place.

@CyanoticWasp HAHAHHA GRINS